The Significance of InterHouse Relations
by Misaki234
Summary: When Dumbledore introduces a 'Glee' inspired song and dance year, Heads Hermione and Draco have to put their past behind them to promote inter-house unity.  Lavender sings S&M, need I say more?  Hermione/Draco/Severus and other odd pairings...
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys we are back again and are alive and kickin' (well, kind of)

Well this is our first fanfiction which is a direct collaboration between us (we normally work separately but are each other's betas) so we apologise in advance if there are any glaring errors.

Now, this is set after the end of the final battle, but no one of much significance died (we missed Remus and Snape way too much :'( ). Also, we only realised after about 60,000 words that the songs we've used are modern songs and don't fit into the correct time era so please bear with us and we promise to be more thoughtful in the future.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. Period. *sigh* such a pity…..

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The owl flew through the kitchen window of The Burrow and deposited the official looking letter in front of Hermione. She vaguely heard the twins whistle ominously as she absentmindedly offered the brown owl a titbit of toast from her plate. After the owl had flown off, Hermione remained staring at the letter, not touching the food on her plate as it got cold.

"Aren't you going to open that?" Harry nudged her, causing her to jump.

"Harry, I'm sure she'll open it in her own time," Ginny berated, sounding all too much like her mother. "She's probably worried."

"Why?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food as per usual. "She's got it."

"But Hannah Abbott…" Hermione said doubtfully, prodding the letter with her fork as if it would explode in front of her.

"Has nothing on you, dear," Mrs Weasley chimed in.

"Are you going to open it or will we have to do it for you?" Fred asked, a twinkle in his eye as he reached for the letter. In the split second before it would have been in his hands, it was snatched up and Hermione clutched it to her chest, protecting it as if she were its mother. That caused matching chuckles from the twins.

Hermione took a deep breath and opened the letter, unfolding the letter and reading it through. The others waited for her reaction and were shocked when she suddenly ran from the room, the letter slipping from her hands and onto the floor. Ginny looked bemused at Harry whilst the twins, Ron and Mrs Weasley all craned their necks to see what it said.

"She got it," Ron said, his voice surprised. "Why did she run away?"

"I'll go see," Ginny stood up from the table and left the room.

It only took her two minutes to find Hermione in her room, dancing around in glee as she sung at the top of her voice. It took Hermione almost three minutes to realise that Ginny was there and she stopped abruptly, a blush gracing her face but her eyes shining with joy nonetheless. Suddenly Ginny squealed and they ran to each other, hugging each other tightly and jumping up and down on the spot.

"I can't believe that I'm going to be head girl!" Hermione shrieked.

"I know," Ginny sighed with happiness. "Everyone always thought you would get it but it was uncertain after last year…"

Hermione's smile faded slightly as she was engulfed by memories of the final battle, the ones she loved falling around her, the flash of brilliant green light as Voldemort fell. She still had nightmares almost five months afterwards and she half expected to wake up to his snakelike face, with his precious Nagini curling around her bedpost, coiled for attack. It still hadn't sunk in that he was actually dead.

"At least Dumbledore let everyone back in who wanted to retake," Ginny brightened the moment.

Dumbledore had quickly announced after the final battle that due to the disruption of the year and the abysmal quality of teaching that everyone could come back and retake their year if they so wished. Several Seventh year students had agreed immediately, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Hannah Abbott being some of them. Other students had asked to come back to the school but advance a year as normal, and Ginny was one of them, which made her officially a Seventh Year this year, in the same year as the 'Golden Trio'.

"Thank God he did, or I wouldn't be able to pass my NEWTS," Hermione looked stricken at the idea and Ginny quickly laughed at her expression.

"Hermione, don't you think you ought to come back downstairs and let everyone congratulate you?" Ginny asked. "I think my dearest mother will have a few words to say."

Hermione allowed herself a brief smile at that idea before a sudden clenching feeling swept over her body. Oh, crap, what had she let herself in for? She had to lead the school! Nerves claimed her, but she forced herself to breath as Ginny led her back into the kitchen. As soon as she stepped foot through the door she was overwhelmed by applause and she was passed round from Weasley to Weasley as they all wanted to congratulate her and give her a friendly hug.

"Well done, Hermione," Harry said quietly. "I know you'll be good at it."

He flashed her a smile before switching it to Ginny and engrossing her in a conversation about Quidditch. Hermione watched the exchange between the two and surmised that it would be difficult to keep them separate this year. After the fiasco of their relationship over a year ago it seemed impossible that Ginny would forgive Harry for ditching her in her hour of need. However, the body language she was showing now proved to Hermione that Ginny was all too ready to give into her feelings and take back Harry. A flick of her hair was ever so slightly seductive, and she watched as Harry was sucked in by it all.

As the twins teased her about her new role of responsibility through the rest of breakfast, Hermione felt herself easing up about her being Head Girl and began to welcome the excitement of a new challenge. God knows she needed it after such an uneventful summer.

Hermione was sat in the prefect carriage, wondering exactly why she had felt so calm about her responsibility. Surrounding her was the prefects from all the houses, and the newbies had instantly bombarded her with questions about their new roles and what was expected of them. The new Head Boy hadn't turned up yet and she found herself burning with annoyance at his lateness.

"Good, you're all here," a familiar drawl turned Hermione's insides to ice. It couldn't be him.

Yet, her eyes lifted to look at his face, his platinum blond hair which suddenly fell so seductively over his stormy grey eyes and her line of sight slid down to the shiny Head Boy badge pinned to his lapel.

"Not you!" Hermione stood up. "How could anyone in their right mind appoint you as Head Boy? You're nothing but a Death Eater's son, a pathetic excuse for a human."

"Granger, I suggest you shut up," his voice seemed calm but there was a level of warning behind his gaze. "Now, sit down, accept that I am Head Boy and listen to what I have to say."

He turned to face the shocked prefects and addressed them all.

"I understand that some of you will be rather surprised to find out that Dumbledore appointed me as Head Boy," he began. "I admit I was extremely shocked when I was informed. But then again, why should I have been? Throughout my life I was known as Lucius Malfoy's son, the Death Eater prodigy, but no-one ever took into consideration what I actually did. I was nearly top of my year for most subjects, falling only behind Miss Granger, and I did help students. Now my father is dead, I can accept this responsibility without the worry of my father's reputation proceeding me. If you have any problems with my appointment then please see the headmaster. Now, Miss Granger, shall we discuss the rota?"

Hermione was too surprised at his polite tone that it took her a minute to realise that she was expected to do something. She cleared her throat to gather her bearings and then handed out a timetable to each person.

"This is the rota for patrols," She explained. "If you have a problem with your rota please come and find me or Malfoy and we'll address the problem. All the patrols are in pairs and each member of that pair must be in a different house to the other. I understand that some of you will disapprove but just remember the idea of house unity. That is more important now than ever before. I urge you to put aside your differences, no matter what you expect them to be like."

"Why do you refer to Draco as Malfoy then?" Jasmine Brehaut, a fifth year Hufflepuff asked.

"Long term rivalry," Draco answered quickly. "I guess we can make a start on it, hey, Hermione?"

It seemed so strange to hear her name coming from his lips but oddly enough it seemed to work.

"Sure, we can try, Draco," she smiled back at him. "Anyway, prefects, time to start the patrols of the trains. I will be in this carriage, along with Mal-Draco, so if you have any problems please come back here. Off you go!"

The prefects stood and filed out of the carriage, the final prefect, Ernie Macmillan closing it after him. Hermione wanted to relax but found herself gripping the edge of the seat tightly.

"Relax, I'm not going to hex you or anything," Draco smiled at her. "I was serious about starting anew. I guess getting on the good side of the Golden Trio, especially the Muggle born has got to show that I'm willing to change."

"Oh, so the apparent friendship is because you want to appear all changed and holier than thou own ass," Hermione snapped. "Not because you actually want to try."

"No, I do, please believe me," Draco's tone suddenly sounded more pleading. "I am trying to change and I'm trying to prove that I'm not my father. Give me a chance, please."

Hermione surveyed his face for a while and when she didn't so much as glance anything other than regret she nodded curtly, before digging _Hogwarts: A History _out of her little carry-on bag and opening it, instantly becoming absorbing in a book she had read a million times over.

Draco sat down on the other side of the carriage and stared out of the window, watching as the countryside flashed past him. After a few minutes he found his gaze slipping to the Head Girl, who was thankfully too absorbed in her cursed book to realise that he was blatantly staring at her. His eyes roamed over her, suddenly appreciating what he saw. Her face was oval shaped, with large brown eyes that normally sparkled, no matter what mood she was in, her nose was small and cute and her lips were full and kissable.

_Kissable? _Draco questioned himself. He shook his head slightly to clear those traitorous thoughts out of his head. _Hermione Granger's lips are not kissable!_

But he couldn't help but take a sharp intake of breath when she gently bit one of her lips, her brow furrowing as she read something in her book. As her lip slipped out from her teeth (god her teeth were suddenly so white and perfect! When had that happened?), his line of sight slid down to where her jumper hinted at a bosom.

"Excuse me a minute, can you manage here by yourself?" Hermione's voice interrupted him and he glanced up at her eyes, which were sparkling.

"Sure, of course, I can," Draco replied.

She walked up to the compartment door. Draco's sight instantly focussed on the back of her jeans, which hugged perfectly her firm behind. When she opened the door and walked out of the compartment, he watched as her derriere twitched in those jeans with each step, and he had to avert his gaze before he thought about having Hermione in front of him, bent over something as he brought his hand down on her ass repeatedly.

His cock jumped slightly as those images perverted his thoughts, but he tried to rush them away by picking up Hermione's book and reading the page she had marked with her bookmark. It was about the house elves situation in the castle and she had marked the page with post-it notes highlighting the amount of house elves that worked in the castle.

She came back as he was reading it and he looked up, allowing a slight blush to grace his face.

"You still on about those house elves?" Draco waved the book in front of her.

"I'll have you know that…" she began, her voice heating up.

"Jesus, Hermione, calm down, I was joking," Draco laughed as he gave her book back.

Hermione looked at him oddly, hearing his laugh for the first time. The smile on his face now made him look attractive, as the smile reached his eyes and added some other emotion rather than the detached emptiness that was normally found there. Plus his laugh was genuine and was one that seemed to reach in her and tug within her.

She opened her mouth to say something when one of the prefects came barging through the door.

"Come quickly, Gryffindors and Slytherins are at it in the corridor!"

Hermione and Draco glanced at one another, something close to disappointment crossing their faces. In a fluid movement they both pulled their wands out, Hermione's from a safe place in down the back of her jumper and Draco's from his back pocket. As they followed the prefect to the problem, Hermione said to Draco, "you shouldn't keep your wand there."

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Because if your wand were to go off by accident it would be your bum that would suffer or worse…" Hermione channelled Moody.

"Umm, thanks, Hermione," Draco looked slightly stricken at the idea of having his goods damaged, but his horror was quickly forgotten as they came across the fight. Some of the younger students were brawling in the corridor whilst the older students able to do magic were firing hexes at one another whilst hiding in the compartments, only poking their wands out to fire a curse.

A purple light came flying through the air towards the Heads but before it could hit, Hermione conjured a shield and it deflected off.

"That is enough!" She shouted, amplifying her voice with her wand so it echoed through the entire train. Everyone stopped fighting and looked slightly scared at the sight of their irritated Head Girl, flanked by no less than her worst enemy.

"What do you think you are doing?" She half screamed at them. "The war is over! Grow up and forget your stupid house rivalry. IT DOESN'T MATTER ANY MORE! If I can get on with Draco Malfoy, you can get on with each other. Now sort yourselves out. A week's worth of detention for all of you and twenty points taken per person. Go back to your compartments."

"NOW!" Hermione shouted when no one moved.

In a flash the corridor was clear and Hermione heaved a sigh, turned to Draco and smiled.

"Glad that's over."

"You are aware that you've just put both of our houses in the negatives before term has even started, right?" Draco checked.

"Hell yes, but don't you think they deserve it?" Hermione asked, walking back to the prefect compartment. "Now that the war is over, there are no sides and I'm going to try my hardest to get rid of any animosity that the houses have towards one another because there's no need for it. It's ridiculous."

"So you're taking no nonsense and being a bit of bitch this year then?" Draco asked. "Exactly like normal then!"

"Oi, you cheeky sod!" Hermione pushed him before rushing into the compartment before he retaliated.

"You're going to pay for that!" Draco ran after her and threw a giggling hex at her which she easily deflected before casting the tickling hex. He got caught by it and ended up on the floor, gasping for breath as he was tickled. After about thirty seconds she relented and in about a second he had her backed in a corner, her wand in his hand.

Perhaps Hermione should have been worried about the fact that she was defenceless and her worst enemy had her at his mercy, but all she could think about was the fact that Draco was only inches away from her.

Her throat was suddenly dry and she licked her lips as her gaze looked down to his lips, before looking back up to his eyes, something expressed in them that she had never seen before. Her heart was thudding so hard against her ribs that she thought it was loud enough for even Draco to hear.

He dipped his head down to hers and hesitated for a second before softly pressing his lips against hers. Hermione sighed and it gave him the opportunity to open her mouth gently with his own and taste her.

_Oh god, oh god, I'm kissing Draco Malfoy….wait, what?_

Hermione broke off the kiss by pushing him away. Her hand flew to cover her mouth and her brain went into overload about the fact that she had been kissing her worst enemy. Sure, he was acting nice, but how did she know if it wasn't just some ploy? A way to get on her good side before sleeping with her and then blagging about it.

"Hermione," Draco said. "Please, Hermione, I'm not like that anymore."

"Are you reading my mind or something?" Hermione cried.

"No, no, not at all, please believe me, I don't want to hurt you, I really have changed," Draco pleaded.

"How can I know this?" Hermione asked sadly. "As much as I want to believe you, how can I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You don't," Draco sighed, his voice almost breaking. "I guess you can just go back to believing that I'm my father and all I want to do is hurt you because you're Muggle-Born. Bye, Hermione, I'll talk to you some other time."

He left the carriage, leaving Hermione standing still in shock.

All throughout the sorting dinner Hermione found herself glancing over at the Slytherin table, her eyes focussing on him as he quietly ate his dinner, talking to no one. Oh sure he smiled at other people and answered when they talked to him, but he didn't actively participate in conversation. She almost missed Dumbledore's speech after dinner and only realised her name was announced when Ron poked her and gestured upwards.

"These are our Heads now," She vaguely registered him saying. "Now you know their faces, you can feel free to go to them for any reason, that's why they're here."

Hermione dipped her head before sitting down. She made a conscious effort to listen and was startled when Dumbledore ended the speech by dismissing the congregation and asking the two Heads to come up to the High Table. She made her way through the crowd and offered up a small smile to Draco, which he tried to return but it was obviously difficult.

"Enjoying your responsibilities?" Dumbledore enquired, once the Hall had cleared.

"Looking forward to enjoying them, we haven't had much chance on the train journey here," Hermione responded.

"I heard it was quite eventful."

Hermione's pulse quickened and she glanced at Draco, who had gone even paler than usual. How did Dumbledore know about what had happened between them?

"The fight?" Dumbledore pushed.

"Ah yes," Draco breathed in relief. "That was fairly easy to break up. Unfortunately, there will be quite a lot of that this year and in the years to come. People still associate Slytherin with Voldemort, and whilst that continues there will always be fights between the houses."

"Well, I suggest that you two come up with some ideas that will aid the school in becoming unified once more. We cannot led Tom Riddle separate us even after his death, it defies our effort to destroy him in the first place," Dumbledore mused. After a moment of reflection he continued, "oh, yes, I will show you to your quarters now. The Heads are privileged enough to get their own quarters – their own living room and also a kitchen in case you decide to take up cooking in your spare time. As well as that you each get your own bedroom and your own bathroom. Please follow me."

Hermione quickly followed him and Draco wasn't far behind. They trailed the Headmaster up to the Fourth floor, and to a painting of a smiling couple, the woman with glossy brown ringlets and big chocolate eyes whilst the man had blonde hair and his eyes were grey.

"The couple tend to change to represent the Heads," Dumbledore explained the likeness to Hermione and Draco. "Don't worry, they don't expect you to become a couple. In fact, you two are probably the most unlikely couple ever."

Hermione's brow furrowed at that thought. Although it did comply with her own thoughts on that situation, she couldn't help but imagine her writhing under Draco, his words of love falling on her ears as he took her body. She blushed bright red and sensibly avoided the Headmaster's eyes to prevent him from prying into her mind.

"The password is Christmas," Dumbledore said.

"Christmas?" Draco laughed. "Seriously?"

"What? Who would pick Christmas as a password at this time of year?" Dumbledore replied.

"Loony Lovegood," Draco replied instantly.

"Oi, you be nice about her, she's one of my closest friends," Hermione said indignantly.

"Yeah I bet she is," Draco snorted.

"Er, I don't like the direction your mind is going, Draco Malfoy, so please stop those thoughts and grow up!" Hermione snapped back.

"I take it back," Dumbledore said quietly.

"What?" They said in unison.

"Nothing, it seems my tastebuds are craving some lemon drops, I must go," Dumbledore made a quick exit, hiding the fact that the passion that he had just witnessed between them formed the basis of a very interesting relationship.

"Ergh, he's crazy," Draco sighed.

"Be respectful," Hermione slapped him on his arm. "He's the Headmaster."

"Shall we see the Head quarters?" Draco asked.

Hermione laughed at that. "Headquarters – love it!"

Draco looked bemused by her reaction but nonetheless spoke the password to let them into their rooms. The couple smiled down at them and then kissed each other, causing identical groans of disgust from the Heads.

"Wow," Hermione gasped once she was in the room.

It was a living room like none she had seen before.

It was large, to say the very least. It could easily encompassed the downstairs of her parents' house, and it was sparsely decorated. There were two small sofas and two matching armchairs, along with a coffee table which completed the ensemble. In one corner stood the kitchen, which again was sparse, which three cupboards, a fridge/freezer, a cooker and a sink stood. In another corner of the room was a bookcase with a note attached informing them that any book from the library could be summoned there.

"That's perfect!" Hermione clapped her hands together in glee. "I don't have to go traipsing down to the library at one o'clock in the morning!"

Apart from that though there was little else there. It seemed obvious that the Heads were supposed to decorate the room themselves, for the décor was neutral and the size of the room meant that it seemed to scream for more furniture.

"Bedroom," Hermione mused, going to the doorway to the left, hoping that it was the right one.

She saw her name on the door and opened it up, gasping at her bedroom. It was once again large in size, with a huge king size bed in the centre of the opposite wall. There was a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a mirror in the room, but once again it was neutral. She spotted another door and she crossed the room to reach it, finding herself in her bathroom. The bath could have easily fit five people in it and the shower was also large in size.

She had never seen such luxury in her life and she had it all to herself.

Well almost.

There was Draco Malfoy to share the living room with. Draco with his handsome face and lean body….god had she felt his lean body when he had pressed into her for that kiss. Just thinking about that kiss made her want more. She touched her lips and could almost feel the tingle within them from their brief contact.

Oh dear, how was she going to survive living with him for a whole year? It would have been fine if they had been in their respective house areas – they were on opposite sides of the school then! But now she had to live with him, share duties with him, organise Head business with him and attend classes with him.

She made her way back into the living room and sat down on one of the sofas. She was vaguely aware of Draco also being in the room, but she was more aware of the very awkward silence between them.

"Erm, are we going to talk about it?" Draco cleared his throat and asked, obviously nervously.

"What is there to talk about?" Hermione replied. "It was the heat of the moment, nothing more, nothing less."

_That's not true and you know it…_she shushed her inner voice.

It appeared as if Draco was having a similar problem to her because he hadn't said a word and his face looked rather confused.

"You are aware that I'm not the same person I was, right?" Draco finally said.

"That may be true, Draco, but I don't know that," Hermione repeated from earlier. "You may have changed completely, but I can't tell if you actually are interested or if it's some sort of cruel prank to play on me. There's too much bad history between us for anything to happen."

"But Hermione," Draco began but Hermione effectively cut him off by standing up.

"I'm going to have a shower and then I'm going to bed," she said stiffly. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Hermione," Draco said, his voice low, his head turned away from her.

As Hermione stepped into the shower and felt the tension in her shoulders ebb away under the constant spray of hot water, she couldn't stop her mind from switching to Draco Malfoy. He was definitely an enigma. A handsome enigma for certain, but still, Hermione had to crack him before she would be content to do a repeat performance of earlier.

Her mind wouldn't be content unless she truly knew him, but her body certainly wanted him. Memories of that kiss, as brief as it had been, invaded her mind, flooding her body with warmth but also desire. She felt her lower stomach begin to twist and turn in that familiar way, and she silently cursed herself as the memories switched into fantasies. What if she hadn't stopped him? What if he had pulled down her jeans and panties, unbuckled his trousers and had taken her right there?

It was too much to bear and her fingers found her nub, desperately seeking release. It came seconds later, her body shuddering with the orgasm which swept her body and caused her to collapse onto the floor of the shower.

"That's the problem with sexual starvation, Hermione, you can't control those thoughts!" She reprimanded herself. Goosebumps were breaking out over her skin as a result of her pleasure, and she quickly switched off the shower and dried herself. Exhaustion gripped her, a combination of the long journey, the emotional stress of the day and also the fact that she had just orgasmed for the first time in a year. She fell into her bed as naked as the day she was born and laid there, her eyes closed.

Her very last thought before she fell asleep was:

_Damn, I need to get laid._

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><p>Okay, first chapter up :) we would appreciate any reviews to let us know how we're doing on this one<p>

Love,

Becky and Adrian

xoxox


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so here's Chapter 2. Now we have 16 chapters written already and we're planning on updating one chapter a week. If people want another chapter early then let us know

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Hermione awoke to an irritating buzzing sound by her ear. She glanced around blearily for the cause only to see an alarm clock bouncing around on her pillow. She snatched it up, her brow scrunched. It wasn't hers. She had never owned an alarm clock.

In the distance she could hear Draco's voice and it hit her in an instant who had placed the alarm there. That meant he had seen her naked. She blushed, a full body blush that heated her up as she instinctively covered herself up, even though he wasn't in the room now. She quickly slipped into her school clothes and set about the difficult task of taming her hair.

After about twenty minutes she had managed to beat the frizz into something a lot more presentable; glossy ringlets that cascaded down her back. She smiled at herself in the mirror and carefully applied black eyeliner lightly, just enough to enhance her eyes.

Hermione piled her books, spare parchment and quills into her bag then hefted it onto her shoulder. She was hit by a lovely smell of eggs and coffee as she left her bedroom, and her stomach rumbled.

She entered the living room to see Draco stood in the kitchen, humming to himself as he busied about the kitchen.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said cheerfully, not even looking at her as he tended to the eggs. "If you'd like to take a seat, I'll have breakfast ready for you in a minute. Is scrambled eggs on toast okay?"

"Um, yes?" Hermione replied, confused.

She dumped her bag by one of the stools and sat at the breakfast bar. Less than a minute later a plate was put in front of her, the toast on it golden brown and the eggs light and fluffy. In short, exactly how she liked it.

"Thank you, Draco," she hesitated at the unfamiliar sound of his name crossing her lips.

"It's not a bad thing," Draco commented. "Saying my name will become common soon enough. You'll get used to it."

He placed a mug of coffee in front of her before sitting down next to her with his own plate of scrambled eggs and his own mug of coffee.

"Draco," Hermione paused. "Did you come into my room last night?"

"No, I didn't," Draco replied, not quite looking her in the face. "I levitated the clock in. I only peeked in the door – I didn't see anything, I promise."

"It's okay, it's just I wasn't exactly appropriately dressed," Hermione felt that blush creep up again and began to spoon the delicious food in her mouth as a way to end that conversation.

There was a knocking at the portrait door and the unmistakable voice of Ginny Weasley shouted through.

"Oi, Hermione, get up!"

Hermione opened the portrait to see a rather flustered Ginny stood on the other side. Without even waiting for permission Ginny pushed through, starting at the sight of Draco but simply ignored him as she flopped onto the sofa.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, kneeling next to her best girlfriend.

"It's a nightmare," Ginny ran her hands through her fingers. "It seems as if someone's been a complete genius and has put a lust potion in Nott's pumpkin juice. He won't stop following me! Even after Harry kissed me in the corridor in front of him! I had to freeze him in the corridor and I ran here as quick as I could."

"Ahh, can I interject there?" Draco piped up. "Nott's acting out of his own feelings. He genuinely is in love with you."

Ginny went pale and her mouth dropped open.

"Are you being serious?" Hermione asked Draco.

"100%. He's always liked you, but was forbidden by his father to woo you but now his father's in Azkaban he's free to do what he likes."

"Oh, fuck a duck," Ginny moaned. "I can't deal with this."

"Yeah, that's the problem though," Draco continued. "So many Slytherins are free to chase who they've always wanted and they're going to have it through back in their faces for following their family. In all honesty, don't all children want to do everything they can to make their parents proud? People never understand it from our point of view."

Draco's voice had quietened towards the end of his little speech and Hermione watched him closely as he said it all to her. To her. It was as if he was trying to tell her that he had wanted her for a long time but had been forbidden from touching her.

"I'll see you in lessons," Draco muttered, picking up his bag and leaving the room.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked.

"Don't ask," Hermione sighed. "We accidentally kissed on the train yesterday and now…"

Her voice was cut out by Ginny's shriek.

"You what?"

"We accidentally kissed," Hermione repeated.

"How?"

"Well, there was that huge bust up between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins and we managed to break it up, only to start our own little playful fight. And well, he backed me against a wall and it just kind of happened," Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"Was it any good?"

"Aren't you concerned about the fact that I kissed my worst enemy?"

"Ha, Hermione, sweetie, you need to get over the fact that Draco had a Death Eater for a father, okay? The war is over and, by the sounds of it, he wants you pretty badly," Ginny said.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth, a little shocked by the sharpness and truth in Ginny's words.

"I'm just so worried that he's going to run back to his friends and laugh about it afterwards," Hermione finally said rather miserably.

"So what if he does?" Ginny exclaimed. "You can just laugh about the fact that you fucked him! Just say you only did it to see if he was really any good. And if he does slag you off or anything like that, just say he was a lousy lay and you've had better!"

"Ginny Weasley!" Hermione was shocked. "Anyone would think you've been in that situation before."

"I have, with Michael Corner," she wiggled her pinky finger and they both laughed. "He was my first and it really hurt when he was horrible afterwards but then I made it worse for him."

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked.

"Pretended I wanted sex again and then cast the Bat Bogeys Hex directly on…him," Hermione winced slightly at the imagined results before laughing out loud.

"For a Ravenclaw he really isn't smart!" Ginny howled with laughter.

That set Hermione off again and she ended up falling off balance. Eventually they calmed down and stopped the steady stream of tears coming from their eyes as they had laughed so much.

"My stomach hurts now," Hermione sighed, clutching her stomach muscles.

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand, was he a good kisser?" Ginny questioned.

"Oh, the best," Hermione closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of his soft lips caressing hers. "I'm not even kidding, he's the best I've ever kissed."

"Do you want it to go further?"

"My body certainly does," Hermione admitted. "I wanted him in the carriage right then."

Ginny clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "Wow, that must have been some kiss."

"It really was," Hermione agreed. "But I just don't know what to do about it now."

"Fuck him," Ginny said simply. "It's not as if you're a virgin or anything so you might as well. Then maybe you could discuss friends with benefits?"

"Seriously?"

"Me and Dean Thomas had that going for about six months," Ginny grinned. "He was brilliant."

"How many people have you slept with?" Hermione asked.

"Only Michael Corner and Dean Thomas," Ginny answered. "I want Harry to be my next and last."

"He's pretty good," Hermione admitted.

"You had sex with Harry?" Ginny exclaimed.

"It's not what you think," Hermione quickly said. "It was before you got together. It was back in Fourth Year, when he was involved in the Triwizard Tournament and all that. It was the night before the last task and we were talking in the Room of Requirement, trying to get him prepped. We knew something bad was going to happen and he was petrified he was going to die. So I offered myself to him so he could experience some joy in his life."

"And not die a virgin," Ginny tacked on.

"Exactly," Hermione nodded. "It was just a onetime thing and although we were each other's first, it never met anything to us. We just decided to ignore it and went back to being friends. Sorry, Ginny, but it was just a spur of the moment type thing."

"It's okay," Ginny gave a worried Hermione a hug. "It was the situation and as long as nothing will happen between you, and I don't think it will because it would have happened last year when you were alone camping, I'm cool with it."

"Nothing will ever happen, I swear," Hermione promised. "I don't have any romantic feelings for Harry whatsoever."

"I always thought you lost it to Ron!" Ginny said, and then shuddered at the mental image that coursed through her head.

"No, but I did have sex with Ron," Hermione pursed her lips. "It was experimentation."

"Oh god," Ginny freaked a little bit.

"Chill, Ginny," Hermione giggled. "Your brother's kind of boring in bed, to be honest. He didn't like role playing, he doesn't like bondage. Too normal for me. I've worked out I like things to be a bit spicy sometimes. Not all the time, because it's nice to have sex to show your love for one another, but there's nothing wrong with being tied to a post and spanked."

"Wow, the bookworm is a sex kitten!"

Hermione meowed before they giggled again.

"Anyway, back to earlier, you said Harry kissed you?" Hermione said. "You two back together?"

"Yep we are as of last night. Ergh, we've got Charms now," Ginny sighed, looking at the time.

"Why the hell did Draco wake me up so early?" Hermione moaned. "I didn't have a lesson until period 2!"

"He was being sweet," Ginny said as Hermione grabbed her bag and they went to get Ginny's bag which was outside the Great Hall before trudging to their first lesson of the year.

* * *

><p>During the first month of school, Hermione settled into a routine. In the morning she would wake up to find Draco cooking her breakfast in the kitchen, which she would happily eat before heading to her lessons. If she had any free time she would sit in the library and complete her homework (or do extra work) and she undertook her prefect rounds with pleasure.<p>

Unfortunately, during those times it became clear that Draco had no interest in Hermione. Even when he had walked in on her changing one time he had just simply uttered an apology and left, seemingly unaffected by seeing her half naked. She grew desperate after some time, wanting to breech the subject of friends with benefits, which was becoming more and more attractive to her, but he just didn't seem interested any more.

On top of that, there were too many incidences involving Gryffindor and Slytherin. It seemed as if only an hour had passed since the last prank that another one was occurring. It was ridiculous. The prank weren't exactly friendly ever, with two Slytherins and three Gryffindors being put in the hospital wing.

The final straw came during lunch, on the first of October, when Hermione was sat eating her breakfast when suddenly Ginny started choking. Harry thumped her on the back but to no avail. Her face was steadily turning red and tears streamed from her eyes as she gasped for breath.

"Move out of the way!" Snape pushed past Hermione, grabbed Ginny and shoved a bezoar down her throat. In a flash her breathing, although slightly laboured, had steadied.

"Potter, take her to the hospital wing," Snape ordered. "Tell Madam Pomfrey it was an anaphylactic shock."

"Was this your house, sir?" Hermione asked quietly when everyone had gone back to their lunches.

"Look at them, do they look guilty?" Snape asked.

Hermione studied the whole house, and the majority of them did had guilty expressions on their faces. "Yes, sir."

"You need to sort out this rivalry, Miss Granger," he fixated her with his dark eyes. "It's not just my house at fault. It's both of them."

And with that he turned and walked away, his robes billowing behind him like they always did. Hermione glanced over to the Slytherin table and sought out Draco. He was easy to spot, not only due to his white-blonde hair, but also because he was standing up. She nodded towards the High Table, and they both made their way up there. Several students glanced up but quickly lost interest.

"Headmaster," Hermione greeted Dumbledore. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your lunch but it's something quite urgent. It has come to our attention that the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses are partaking in a challenge to prank one another as much as possible. However, as you can tell from Ginny, this is quickly changing into something rather dangerous. Would it be possible to call a meeting of the two houses tonight at 8 in here? Draco and I would like to talk to them about their behaviour."

"Certainly, Miss Granger," Dumbledore looked at Draco. "Will you require any teachers?"

"No, we'll be fine," Hermione answered. "We can call a couple of students to watch over the proceedings. From Gryffindor, Harry, Ron, Neville and Ginny, if she's able."

"From Slytherin, Theodore, Blaise, Millicent and Pansy," Draco added.

"Then it has been arranged."

"Sir, would there be a way to get all of the population of the two houses into the Great Hall?" Draco asked. "Only, I fear that a great number won't turn up unless forced."

"Don't worry," Dumbledore smiled at them both.

They dipped their heads politely before leaving the hall together, just as they heard Dumbledore announce the meeting.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to say?" Draco asked Hermione.

"To be perfectly honest, no," Hermione admitted. "But it needs to stop."

"I'll see you at quarter to eight with my overseers," Draco said by way of departure.

"Au revoir, mon ami," Hermione responded. "See you here then!"

She headed up the stairs to her Arithmancy lesson whilst Draco went down into the dungeons to find his lackeys.

* * *

><p>At quarter to eight exactly Hermione was stood in the Great Hall with her friends, waiting for Draco. Ginny had been able to attend, and she was pretty much back to normal. It had turned out that someone had put an essence in her pumpkin juice that was supposed to make it taste disgusting but unfortunately contained traces of peanuts, which she was fiercely allergic to. In fact it was only due to Professor Snape that she had survived.<p>

"Hello, dearest Gryffindors," Pansy walked through the door.

Behind her came Nott, Zabini, Bulstrode and Draco followed up the rear.

There was frostiness in the air which Hermione instantly dispersed by walking up to Draco and placing a kiss on his cheek, much to everyone's surprise.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Draco replied. "This is irritating."

"It's needed though," Zabini said.

"Okay, everyone knows everyone. However, you will refer to everyone here by their first names," Hermione stated. "There's no use promoted house unity if we're still acting like enemies. Everyone, introduce yourselves."

"Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, Head Girl, self-confessed know-it-all and sometimes a complete bitch," Hermione began.

"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin badass, Head Boy, trying to start completely anew."

"Harry Potter, Gryffindor, boy-who-lived, all that bullshit."

"Ron Weasley, Gryffindor, redhead, a pain in the ass and a complete idiot."

"Theodore Nott, Slytherin, was a Death Eater but not through choice, desperately in love with Ginny Weasley."

At that comment, Ginny automatically moved away from him and Neville quickly restrained Harry who had started towards him. Ron just remained where he was, completely dumbfounded.

"Blaise Zabini, Slytherin heartthrob, genuine nice guy and always liked Gryffindors."

"Yeah, we know that," Ginny scoffed. "Especially Lavender Brown."

Zabini winked at her, which thankfully Harry missed.

"Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor, good at Herbology and rather terrible at everything else."

"Millicent Bulstrode, Slytherin, quiet and hardworking."

"Ginny Weasley, Gryffindor, Ron's sister, good at Quidditch and Charms, alright singer."

"Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin, bit of a wild child."

"Yeah but you are so nice," Millicent said.

"But mean," Blaise added.

"How does that make sense?" Harry asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Pansy shrugged. "I have a really tough exterior but I'm nice somewhere deep down inside."

"Question," Ginny said. "Pansy, is it true you did three guys at once?"

"Rumour," Pansy replied, a tight smile on her face. "Because I never gave it up to anyone everyone automatically decided to spread loads of shit about me."

Ginny quietened down.

"Okay, now the introductions are out of the way, can two of you stand by the door, two on the left, two on the right and two behind myself and Draco? Preferably a Gryffindor and Slytherin in each pair."

Instantly Theodore headed for Ginny but Pansy snatched her, much to Ginny's gratefulness. They struck up a conversation as they made their way to the left hand side of the hall. Harry paired up with Blaise and they took the doors. Ron and Millicent choose the right and that left Neville and Theodore at the rear of the hall.

"Three minutes to go," Hermione whispered nervously to Draco.

"You'll be fine," he squeezed her hand in comfort, dropping it as soon as the first small group were through the door.

By eight o'clock, about half the Gryffindors were there and even less of the Slytherins. Suddenly the rest all came tumbling in, the doors closing behind them as they were put unceremoniously on the floor.

"Glad you could join us," Draco said, his voice full of contempt.

"Yeah we weren't even going to turn up to this stupid thing," one of the older Gryffindors snapped.

"We gathered. Lucky for us we saw Professor Dumbledore earlier and he made sure that you would all turn up on time," Draco drawled.

"As you can see, there are no teachers in this hall," Hermione said. "However, there are six overseers, three from Gryffindor, three from Slytherin, not including myself and Draco, and they can quite easily prevent any problems."

"We all fought in the war as well so rest assured we can fight large crowds," Harry's voice carried through the hall.

"Now, you are here today because you are immature," Hermione said. "You seem to think it's funny to play pranks on each other. Yes, certainly, pranks can be funny, but pranks can quickly turn into something dangerous. Six students have been in the hospital wing in the last month because of your stupid antics. Two of them almost died! Is that funny?"

"We're only trying to take out the Death Eater scum," Romilda Vane explained.

Before she could get jumped on by the surrounding Slytherins, Hermione pulled her up next to Draco.

"Death Eater scum?" Draco repeated. "Okay, how many of you think I'm a Death Eater?"

All the Gryffindors put up their hands.

"Keep your hands up if you think I followed Voldemort's orders."

Not a single hand went down.

"Keep your hands up if you think I killed someone."

A couple of the hands went down but the majority stayed in the air.

"Keep your hands up if you think I raped someone or tortured someone's little baby until they bleed to death."

All the hands faltered and fell.

"That's what being a Death Eater was all about," Draco said. "Murder, rape, torture. There was no cause for it, only the idea of blood supremacy made the Death Eaters continue. Some adored the pain. Can you imagine me doing any of that?"

There was no answer.

"Can you imagine me doing any of that?" He roared.

There were mutterings of no throughout the hall and Draco calmed down slightly.

"Just to prove to you all that I'm not a Death Eater," he said, rolling up his left sleeve to reveal a clear forearm. "No Dark Mark. Now you thought that I was a Death Eater, but you're wrong. Just because Slytherin was where the majority of the Death Eaters came from doesn't make all of us Death Eaters."

"One of the most famous Death Eaters was a Gryffindor," Harry stepped forward. "Peter Pettigrew. Without him my parents would still be alive and without him Voldemort would have never returned to power."

"Don't believe in stereotypes," Hermione urged the silent congregration. "I understand the deep rooted rivalry. Believe me, we all do here. In fact, I used to hate Draco and now he's one of my closest friends."

"Really?" One of the first years asked.

"Yep, she actually punched me in our Third Year!" Draco said, much to the delight of the Gryffindors.

"We were the worst enemies, probably worse that you are with your worst enemy, but we got over it," Hermione continued. "Understand now that you need to put aside your differences and get on well together. I'm not saying never pull pranks, but make sure that when you do they're safe. Make sure that they won't hurt anyone."

"If anyone in Gryffindor hurts a Slytherin or vice versa, it will result in a month's worth of detentions at the least, and expulsion at the most," Draco added.

There was a collective gasp at this.

"This is the year to stamp out prejudice in this school and if we have to expel someone to get rid of it then we will," Hermione said determinedly. "Now do you understand?"

Everyone in the hall said yes at the same time, prompting a smile from both Hermione and Draco.

"Okay, you can go now," Hermione waved her wand and the doors opened, allowing the students to leave. She watched the crowd, and to her surprise, some of the pupils began to mix with the other house. In fact, one boy in Slytherin (Terence Higgs in his Seventh Year) asked Lavender Brown out.

Of course that girl accepted. She'd accept anything. But it was a huge milestone – they were cooperating finally.

The overseers gathered around Hermione and Draco and instantly began to congratulate them on their successful talk.

"I thought you were actually going to whip out your wand and start cursing them when they all put their hands up!" Millicent gushed to Draco.

"Harry, thanks for backing me up," Draco held out his hand for Harry to shake it.

Harry looked at it for a minute before letting the tension slid from his body and taking it, even smiling at Draco.

Ginny squeezed Harry's arm, and he let go of Draco's hand to gently move the hair back off Ginny's hair before dipping his head down and kissing her softly.

"Oi, that's my sister," Ron shouted.

"Ronald, grow up!" Hermione snapped. "That was last year's reaction. You can't still be having that reaction when they went out before!"

"I like her," Blaise whispered to Draco.

"You can like from a distance, Blaise," Hermione retorted, having overheard what he said.

Blaise put on a hurt puppy look but Hermione simply scoffed and turned her head away, her curls bouncing over her shoulders.

"Oh, so cold, man, so cold," Blaise exaggerated stumbling about and leaning on Draco for support.

"Anyway, isn't it party time?" Theodore asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Absolutely not," Hermione replied, much to the disappointment of the others. "All of us here are prefects and we're supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the school. We cannot party."

"Spoil sport," Blaise muttered under his breath.

"Besides, we don't particularly want to party with a bunch of Slytherins," Ron added.

Instantly the room went deathly silent. The Slytherins in question visibly tensed, but it was the anger in Hermione's eyes which he shrank from.

"You absolute idiot," Hermione growled at him. "Were you not listening to anything I said? Anything at all?"

"Yes I was but…"

"But you decided to open your big, fat mouth and completely undo everything," Hermione interrupted him. "Now I wouldn't be surprised if any of the Slytherins here would want to be friends with any of us thanks to what you just said."

"You're such an idiot," Harry said, much to everyone's astonishment. "Ron, I want to put everything behind us and start afresh and I, for one, would like to be able to be friends with the Slytherins. If they turn out to be dicks then I'll go back to hating them but you need to sort yourself out."

"I suggest you leave, Ron," Ginny said, her voice cold. "And don't bother talking to us until you've apologised to the Slytherins."

"But it was an accident," Ron cried, suddenly cracking under the intense stares he was getting. "Neville, Ginny?"

They ignored him.

"Harry?" His voice broke as Harry turned away from him.

He looked at Hermione but she stared straight through him. His upset festered into anger and he leapt forward, meaning to punch one of the Slytherins. Hermione quickly froze him.

"You can stay like that until the spell wears off or until someone finds you," Hermione said indifferently. "Deal with it."

* * *

><p>The next morning was interesting. For once, Hermione and Draco were in the Great Hall, having been asked to attend breakfast for 'that day only' by a note which had come attached to Fawkes. To say they were surprised was a little bit of an understatement, but Hermione expected it was to do with the talk that they had given the two houses the previous night.<p>

"Hogwarts Students," Dumbledore stood, commanding the attention of the entire hall. "Given the recent abolition of inter-house rivalry, I am now putting a measure in place to inspire house unity but also to allow students to express themselves in a free manner."

Hermione's brow furrowed deeply as she looked up at the Headmaster. A free manner? Unless he was going to introduce nudity to Quidditch she had no idea where he was going with this.

"There is a delightful muggle show called Glee," he said, to several groans from the muggle-borns in the hall. "It is about a group of individuals who express themselves through song. Now, I wish for that to be available here. From now on, any student, or indeed a group of students, may sing a song during a mealtime."

As soon as he sat down there was a huge commotion in the Hall as everyone began to talk about what had just occurred. Hermione's eyes grew wide as she realised the possible implications of this, and she clambered out of her seat and managed to walk in a dignified manner up to the High Table.

"Sir, isn't this a little risqué?" She asked, her voice low.

"Certainly, Miss Granger, but I think it could be good," Dumbledore replied.

"What about sexual songs? And swearing?" Hermione barely keep the strain out of her voice.

"Sexual songs are allowed because they express a person, especially during the teenage years, however, swearing will not be allowed because I have already placed a charm on this hall which will blank out any swear words that are uttered," Dumbledore replied calmly.

"Okay, sir," Hermione sighed.

"I hear you have a very nice voice," He continued. "Why don't you sing sometime soon?"

Hermione quickly muttered her goodbye and left, casting a slightly worried glance over at Draco. What if they had to perform a song together as they were the Heads? She didn't even know if he could sing.

As she walked past the Gryffindor table, Ginny leapt up and followed her outside, her eyes shining bright.

"Hermione, this is your chance!" Ginny hissed as soon as they were in the clear.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"This is your chance to show Draco that you're not a bookworm. Pick a song to sing that will make him jealous and make him see you as the sexy woman that you are!"

"But which song would I pick?" Hermione sighed. "I don't even think I could feel confident singing a song in front of everyone anyway."

"I know a song," Ginny brightened. "It's a duet, and I know exactly the person to do it with you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Ooooo, who's going to be that person? Review guys and let us know who you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey avid readers! Third chapter now :) making our way through slowly

Btw, sorry about the late update - it was my (Becky) 18th last weekend and I kinda forgot :/ sorry!

Here it is :) enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Hermione found herself in the Room of Requirement only two days later, wondering what she had let herself in for as she looked around the room which was practically completely empty, save for a muggle looking stereo in the far corner. She had come dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, nothing fancy at all, but as soon as Ginny entered the room she tutted and rolled her eyes. Following her was Harry, who looked slightly bemused.

"What are you wearing?" Ginny sighed. "Honestly, girl, if you're going to win him over you can't perform this song wearing that!"

"But this is just a rehearsal," Hermione couldn't keep the whinging tone out of her voice.

"So?" Ginny said bossily. "You'll be performing in tight trousers so you should get used to them."

"I'll be what?" Hermione looked stunned.

"You have to show off your assets," Ginny replied. "Tight PVC trousers and a corset will be what you'll be wearing."

"I'm sticking with jeans for now," Hermione answered, choosing wisely not to argue with Ginny. "Why is Harry here?"

"He's your duet partner," Ginny said smugly.

"Why him?" Hermione asked.

"Because he knows the song and he's willing to perform with you," Ginny said.

"I do?" Harry still looked bemused.

"Yes, you do," Ginny said sharply. "You playing it was actually how I first heard it. Now the dancing will have to be provocative, but unfortunately I can't dance so someone else will have to choreograph it."

"I can dance," Hermione offered. "I could probably do it if you told me the song."

"Tell me."

Hermione and Harry had matching expressions of horror on their faces.

"Are you being serious?" Hermione gasped. "Me sing that with Harry in front of the entire school. It screams that we're in a relationship."

"It does, but then again, if Harry choses to designate the song to me then it clears up that image instantly," Ginny had an answer for everything. "Besides, the song would be perfect because it's sexy."

"Ergh, why do you have an answer for everything?" Hermione groaned.

"Because I'm a Weasley."

* * *

><p>So, amongst all of her Head Girl duties and her school work, Hermione had a song drummed into her as Ginny worked her and Harry hard, never happy until they had it perfect each time. In the living room one night, Hermione was lounging about, enjoying her rare free time by reading ahead in her potions textbook when she heard the song come on from the wireless in the corner.<p>

"Tell me," she hummed along to it. "What you're thinking about when your hands are all on me."

Before she even realised what she was doing, she was up and dancing around. Admittedly, it was rather difficult to dance her dance without Harry there but she managed, and she actually enjoyed herself for the first time as she danced. Ginny had been pushing her so hard that she hadn't had the time to relax and feel the music.

"Erm, what are you doing?" Draco's voice made her stop suddenly, her heart beating quickly in her chest.

"What does it look like?" Hermione replied crossly, putting herself back on the sofa and picking up her book, her eyes scanning the page but not taking in a single word.

"Dancing," Draco answered. "I didn't know you danced."

"I don't," Hermione said stubbornly.

"You looked pretty good there," Draco mused. "Do you want to dance with me?"

Hermione looked up from her book and narrowed her eyes at his outstretched hand.

"I'm busy," she said rather curtly, still cross at him having seen the dance before he was supposed to.

"Reading?" He laughed. "Hermione, you're not reading that book."

She sighed, knowing he was right. She begrudgingly allowed him to take the book from her hands and place her bookmark in it before pulling her up into his arms. He pulled her close, one hand around her waist, the other hand clasping hers as he began to move them gently.

She followed him, swaying back and forth as they slowly rotated on the spot. The song was completely the wrong song for them to be dancing like that but she wasn't going to say anything. She was in his arms, close enough to smell his cologne and feel the warmth of his skin. Hesitantly she shuffled closer and placed her head on his chest. His heart was beating fast, but he seemed so calm as he lead the way around the room, still dancing with her.

Hermione felt him rest his head on hers, and her heart began beating wildly at that moment. He was practically displaying his affection for her! She pulled her head back slightly and looked up at him, her eyes meeting his eyes. He slowly tilted his head down and she took a breath and closed her eyes, reaching up to meet him….

"Hermione!"

They instantly pulled away from each other, dropping all contact. Hermione felt the cold hit her and she almost cried out at the loss of him being near her.

"Hermione, open up!"

Hermione moved over to the portrait to let Ginny in, who instantly poured into the living room with a big smile on her face.

"Hermione, guess what?" Her smile faltered when she saw the irritated look on Hermione's face.

"I'm just going to go," Draco said, startling Ginny who hadn't even realised he was there.

"No, please don't," Hermione cried out, before biting her lip. "When will you be back?"

"Once I've finished my homework," he replied rather ambiguously.

He swept past them and into the corridor, the portrait swinging shut behind him. Hermione noticed that he had left his bag behind and sank to the floor, her head in her hands.

"Did I interrupt something?" Ginny asked.

"What do you think?" She yelled. "Ginny, what gives you the right to demand to be let in to my quarters? What gives you the right to work me constantly until I almost collapse? And yes, you interrupted something – Draco was about to kiss me, so thanks a lot, Ginevra Weasley."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise," Ginny's voice shook slightly.

"No, that's just it, you don't realise!" Hermione shouted, standing up now and facing Ginny. "I like privacy. I wasn't even going to sing in front of the school until you insisted and you wouldn't take no for an answer. Get out!"

"I…"

"GET OUT!" Hermione screamed.

Ginny looked at her and suddenly tears spilled down the redhead's cheeks. All of Hermione's anger dissipated and she moved to envelope the younger girl in a hug.

"Ah, shit, I'm sorry," Hermione apologised. "I'm just stressed and I thought I was finally going to get somewhere with Draco and then we get interrupted."

"It's okay," Ginny sniffed. "I was going to tell you that your performance is tomorrow lunchtime."

"It is?" Hermione felt a wave of nerves hit her. "Oh, fuck me."

"Haha, I'm sure Draco will after he sees you perform," Ginny joked, her sadness practically gone.

"So when are we going to rehearse?" Hermione enquired.

"I was hoping now, if you're free and want to, and also first thing tomorrow morning, before breakfast so you can get used to the feel of performing in the Great Hall," Ginny said. "I mean, the Room of Requirement is helpful because it's realised that you need to practise in the Great Hall but it doesn't compare to the real thing."

"True," Hermione agreed. "Now, yes I am free and yes I will practise now and tomorrow morning, but I am not changing out of this."

"Fair enough," Ginny replied.

* * *

><p>The next day, just before lunch, Hermione found herself hunched over the toilet in the girls' bathroom, puking her guts up. She had simply gone into the bathroom to get changed into her outfit when suddenly those butterflies that had been circling in her stomach had caused a riot and she had barely made it to the toilet in time.<p>

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ginny's voice called out.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute," Hermione croaked back, wiping her mouth.

She flushed the toilet and stumbled out of the cubicle.

"Are you going to be able to perform?" Ginny asked.

"I have pepper-up potion in my bag," Hermione answered in a quiet voice. "I thought this might happen."

Hermione rummaged through her bag, found the potion and tipped it down her throat. She felt perkier instantly, and even smiled brightly at Ginny.

"Let's get you dressed then," Ginny said.

Hermione pulled on the tight PVC black trousers which hugged everything perfectly and then Ginny helped her into a red corset which laced up at the back. It empathised Hermione's small waist and pushed up her breasts so they looked like they were going to burst out. Ginny muttered several charms to allow flexibility in the clothes and also security, which Hermione was extremely grateful for.

"Make-up," Ginny said out loud, as she began to outline Hermione's eyes in black eyeliner, much thicker that Hermione would normally do it, bringing out her eyes even more. She careful created the smoky eye effect, so it looked as if Hermione was sultrily looking at anyone who caught her eye. A slight hint of blusher and a lip gloss to make her lips shine a little and it was done.

Ginny focussed next on Hermione's hair, cast spells on it to create a sleek, straight look down her back. The hair glistened in the light and the cut of it framed her face perfectly.

"Now look in the mirror," Ginny instructed.

Hermione turned to the mirror above the sink and gasped. She looked …. sexy … there was no other word for it. Her figure was enhanced and Ginny had cleverly managed to bring out her best features with the hair and make-up whilst minimising the flaws.

"Wow," Hermione breathed.

"Indeed," Ginny grinned. "You'll knock him dead."

"Hopefully not because then I'll never get laid by him," Hermione quipped, causing the girls to break out in nervous giggles.

"Well, it's time," Ginny said, passing Hermione the invisibility cloak.

Hermione flung it over herself and completely disappeared from sight. She cast a quick cushioning charm on her stilettos (Ginny had topped the outfit off with six-inch fuck me heels) so she wouldn't make any noise then followed Ginny into the Great Hall. She located Draco during her walk up to the High Table and fought the urge to run over and kiss him. He'd never know who it was…

She shook her head clear and continued on her path. Once she was in place, just in front of Dumbledore and facing the mass, she rubbed the DA galleon and sent a message to Ginny before slipping it down her top to the security of her bra. She heaved a few breaths, waiting for Harry to start, feeling her knees start to shake from the nerves.

Music began playing in the Great Hall and everyone stopped eating to look around for the source.

Harry stood up onto the Gryffindor Table and began:

'_Can you feel me? _

_Do that shhh, do that shhh, do it_

_Do that shhh, do that shhh do it_

_Do that shhh, do that shhh do it_

_Do that shhh, do that shhh do it_

_Let's play a game, let's pretend for a second_

_You don't know who I am or what I do_

_Let's just put it to the side_

_I can feel your heart beating, I can hear you breathing_

_Look into your eyes, trying to see into your mind_

_See into your soul, no limits to the levels me and you can go_

_When's it me, I take control_

_But it's something about you that makes me wanna change_

_I like the way you dance and the way you play the game."_

Hermione took off the invisibility cloak but as everyone was focussed on Harry parading around on the Gryffindor table, the only ones to notice were the teachers on the high table.

"You did say sexy songs were allowed," Hermione whispered to Dumbledore.

"Indeed, I did," The headmaster replied. "Go ahead, I shall enjoy this."

Harry was still singing and Hermione took a deep breath – her part was just coming up.

'_I like the way you take away the pain_

_The way you tell me that you want it, not saying a thing_

_The way you got me going, got me going outta my brain_

_I see us going at it, going in and outta them lanes._

_I don't want you innocence, I don't want you to stutter_

_I don't want a commitment and I don't want you to suffer_

_I don't want your number, baby, I want you to wonder_

_I want you to come up looking like there's something you wanna…'_

Hermione opened her mouth and the words flowed out.

'_Tell me,_

_What you thinking about when you got me waiting patiently.'_

Everyone's eyes had swivelled to her and she was aware of the fact that all eyes were on her. Still, she stood, feet slightly apart, moving her hips to the music and following exactly what she had been practised. Harry was walking up to her as she continued:

'_And usually, I don't have to wait for nobody_

_But there's something about you that really got me feeling weak_

_And I'm trying to find the words to speak_

_Boy, I got my eyes on you_

_So tell me what you wanna do_

_I can picture you in my room_

_Until the morning_

_I don't even know your name_

_Boy, I need to know your name_

_I'm hoping that you feel the same_

_Tell me if you want it.'_

Harry reached her right at that second and they began dancing together, moving around each other, never quite touching one another until Harry spun her around and dipped her down low before bringing her back up slowly so her hair fell over her eyes, and her hands fell to her breasts.

'_I know you're gonna like it_

_So tell me how you want it_

_And you don't have to fight it_

_Cause Baby you're invited, yeah_

_I know you're gonna like it _

_So tell me how you want it_

_And you don't have to fight it _

_Cause baby you're invited.'_

By this point Hermione had fully flung herself into the song, and Draco could tell.

He hadn't reacted when Harry had started his abysmal attempt at rapping – had barely even looked up from his plate – but when there was a collective gasp from the Slytherin table and he had heard that sexy voice singing those lyrics he had to look up. And it was Hermione, looking a little nervous at first, but as soon as Harry started dancing with her she had become alive, her whole body glowing with the song as she strutted around and danced to it whilst using that sexy voice of hers to sing those dirty lyrics.

"Granger can sing," Pansy said, rather impressed.

"She can do more than sing," Blaise approved, the huskiness in his voice proving that he was having a similar reaction to Draco.

Draco refused to say anything, watching her intently as his full blown erection twitched with every word she sang. It was if she were singing to him and he could have sworn that every so often she caught his eye.

"Dude, Granger's hot," Blaise hissed at him.

"Is that all you guys think about?" Pansy tutted.

"Ummm, yeah, especially when a hot piece of ass like Granger is parading it around," Blaise answered.

"Hot piece of ass? Ergh," Pansy stabbed angrily at her food.

"Are you banging that?" Blaise asked.

"No," Draco answered, never taking his eyes off her.

"If you don't get in there quickly, I will," Blaise said.

"No you won't," Draco broke his gaze long enough to stare coldly at Blaise. "She's mine."

"I'm not the only one who wants her," Blaise gestured around the school.

Draco gazed around the congregation and was startled to see that so many people had a similar reaction to him. It seemed as if Hermione had suddenly become the hottest person in school. As his gaze slid up to the High Table, where Hermione and Harry had hugged at the end of their song, he was amazed to see Snape focussed on her entirely, a look of thoughtfulness on his face.

As Hermione turned to smile at Draco, she caught the full force of his glare and it felt as if someone had tipped a bucket of ice down her insides. She smiled briefly at Harry before rushing out of the Hall, speeding past everyone so she could go back into the bathroom and cry.

"Hermione, sweetheart?" Ginny popped her head around the corner a few minutes later.

"He looked so cruelly at me," Hermione wept.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Ginny said soothingly, embracing her. "He was probably just shocked. Anyway, don't feel bad, all the boys are talking about how hot you are. Ron's practically drooling!"

Hermione laughed a little at that.

"Anyway, its Potions next so you'd better get dressed and all that before the lesson starts!" Ginny said. "We don't want to be late to Potions!"

Hermione quickly changed and magicked away the excess make up on her face (which thankfully hadn't run from her crying – thank god for small favours). They dashed down to the Potions lab with the bags and inched into the classroom just as the clock stuck time.

There were only two empty seats left and Ginny bagged the one by Harry, leaving her sat next to Draco. Her heart sank as she sat next to him.

"Well done, Hermione," Blaise turned round and smiled at her, turning on his full charm. "You were brilliant. You have an amazing voice."

"Yeah, well done," Michael Corner echoed.

The boys followed Blaise with words of praise for her performance, everyone apart from Draco.

"That's enough on Miss Granger's assets," Snape drawled. "I don't think these boys are interested in your intellectual ones or your musical ones."

Hermione blushed and looked down at her parchment.

"And, Mr Potter, can we please not hear about you being well hung again, it's rather displeasing during lunch."

Draco's brow furrowed as he tried to recall when Harry had mentioned his package but couldn't remember it – it must have been when he was watching Hermione.

"Still, rather impressive performance. Five points to Gryffindor."

Several of the Gryffindors actually fell off their stools in shock and Harry and Hermione simply looked at one another, not entirely sure on what to say to that.

"Now, back to today's lesson…"

Throughout Potions Hermione carefully studied the theory of making potions, paying close attention to Snape's words, but all she could think about was Draco and how he had stared so coldly at her. It upset her. As soon as the lesson ended she packed her bag and dashed off out of the classroom, desperate to get away from Draco.

She didn't notice Snape watching her, and she didn't notice Draco staring thoughtfully at him.

* * *

><p>Hermione continued to ignore Draco for almost a week. Several times her resolve almost broke when he was near her, but when she remembered that cold glare he had given her, she fell apart and steeled herself against him. She was determined to stay strong, and determined to avoid getting close to him.<p>

On the other hand, many of the boys in her year, and indeed in the years down to the Fourth year, were almost constantly by her side, offering to escort her to her lessons and carry her bag for her. It was extremely confusing but she was glad to allow her back some relief from carrying that heavy bag. It was also entertaining to see all these Quidditch players and 'buff' boys struggle with her bag.

"Hermione, baby, can I carry your bag for you?" Ron asked her, a puppy-dog look in his eyes.

"You can try as long as you stop calling me baby," Hermione answered. "I'm nobody's baby apart from my parents."

"Okay," he replied, snatching up her bag only to drop it instantly from the weight. There was a loud smashing noise as her ink pots broke.

"Oh, Ronald!" she cried out, opening up her bag to see the contents of the pots spread all over her homework. Luckily her textbooks were impermeable which meant that they didn't affect them, but all of the homework was ruined. "Thanks a lot, I'm going to have to redo all of this!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron put his hands up.

"Sorry? You're sorry? Sorry isn't going to undo this!"

"I would offer to help but…"

"But you couldn't do it to the same standard. I know," Hermione sighed. "I'll be missing dinner then, thanks. I'll see you around."

She snatched up her bag and walked up to the HQ (as she had gleefully nicknamed it), entering it. She made herself a quick cup of tea and settled down to her work.

She had almost finished the majority when Draco walked in.

"Hermione, can we talk?" Draco asked her.

She glanced up from her Potions homework and saw simply sincerity in his eyes.

"Draco, I'm busy at the moment," She sighed, flicking her eyes back down to her parchment, which only needed one more inch on it and she would have finished all her homework for the night.

"Can you not wait to finish that?" Draco almost begged.

"No, not really," Hermione answered. "If I stop now I'll lose my train of thought."

"I can wait," he said, sitting down on the sofa.

Hermione was painfully aware of him watching her and couldn't focus on her work. She repeatedly made mistakes and had to continually erase them. Eventually she got so fed up that she flung down her quill, not caring that the ink left splotches in the white carpet.

"Fine, let's talk!" Hermione snapped. "Maybe then I could focus on the stupid essay and get it done."

"I only wanted to talk to you about what we're going to do about this room," Draco looked hurt. "It's so neutral that I thought we should start decorating it. It's almost Halloween and we haven't even started decorating it."

"Oh," Hermione sat down. "What were you thinking then?"

"Well, I was thinking we could have the furniture transferred from my living room at home," Draco suggested.

"You have your own living room?" Hermione took a sharp intake of breath. "You're stinking rich."

"Yes," he answered honestly. "But I can assure you that my living room is fairly neutral in the sense of house colours. There is a little bit of green but it's not over bearing. In fact the walls are red so it would sway more towards your house."

"Why on Earth are your walls red?"

"Because I heard that red can make you crazy," He replied. "I wanted to see if it was true. Since I've had red walls since I was six I think I can safely say that I'm not crazy."

"I don't know about that, you did give me a really evil look for no reason after I sang with Harry," Hermione took the plunge.

Draco's face dropped in confusion and then understanding.

"Hermione, you are completely mistaken," He smiled. "That wasn't aimed at you, I promise. I…um…"

He almost seemed to turn red as his mouth opened and closed – clearly wanting to say something but he was too embarrassed to say it.

"What?" Hermione's tone was gentle.

"I was stunned," he said, not meeting her eyes. "You seemed so sexy, and I had always thought you were beautiful and thanks to you wearing that tight outfit and dancing around like that everyone else saw what I had seen years ago and I was jealous. I didn't think you'd ever want me but it was probable that you would want someone else. You could have anyone now. I mean, the boys are falling at your feet and yet you chose to ignore them. I don't know what to think and then you suddenly started ignoring me and I wondered if you had found someone you wanted to be with and it hurt me a lot."

"Oh, well, I thought you didn't like what I had done and I actually cried afterwards," she admitted.

"Why did you cry?" Draco asked.

"Because I did all of that for you," Hermione said. "I wanted to impress you and to get you to notice me and then I thought you hated what I did. It took me ages to get up the courage to do it. Ginny had to basically threaten me to get me to agree."

"Really?" Draco stepped closer to her. "You looked so comfortable doing that as well."

"Why do you think I was hidden at first?" Hermione said, aware of how close they were.

"Because you wanted to make a surprise entrance and wow everyone?" Draco offered. "Or because you wanted to make Harry look like a fool."

"Mmmm, true, but then again Ginny was the mastermind behind the whole thing and I doubt she wanted to make Harry look a fool. I guess…"

"Fuck this," Draco cut her off by pulling her in close and kissing her fiercely. He bent her backwards with the force of his kiss and she responded with as much force, their tongues battling for dominance as two months' worth of frustration was released in less than a minute.

"Stop," Hermione broke off the kiss, gasping for breath.

"Oh shit, that was completely the wrong thing to do," Draco cursed, hitting his head with his hand.

"No, it's okay, seriously," Hermione caught his hand and looked at him. "I wanted that…no, I needed it. I just needed to breathe."

"Oh, sorry," Draco smiled sheepishly.

"It's fine," Hermione pressed a chaste kiss against his lips. "But we should talk about this before it goes any further."

"I agree," Draco sat down on the sofa, pulling Hermione down next to him and turned to face her.

Suddenly Hermione's stomach grumbled.

"Did you eat dinner?" Draco looked worried.

"No," Hermione pursed her lips. "Ron managed to drop my bag and break my ink pots which completely drenched all my homework and ruined it. I had it done but thanks to him I had to do it again and I've been up here since about 3 trying to do it all."

"Are you aware that it's 9?" Draco asked.

"Is it really?" Hermione was shocked. "It just took me six hours to do all that homework again? I'm going to kill Ron."

"I'll make you something to eat quick," Draco leapt up. "Wait here, I'll cook something quick."

She waited patiently on the sofa until he came back with a plate with an omelette and some boiled potatoes on it with a cup of tea and a pot of natural yoghurt for dessert.

"I had to use magic to cook the potatoes," Draco sighed. "It won't taste as good but I wanted to make something so you could eat it as soon as possible."

"It's perfect, thank you," Hermione took the plate and tucked it, devouring the food.

Draco was thoughtful enough to busy himself whilst she ate. He had been around her long enough to realise that she couldn't physically eat food if someone was watching her. She couldn't swallow it.

"Thank you so much for that," Hermione thanked him again once she had finished, her stomach now comfortably full.

"That's okay," he flicked his wand and set the plate, the cup and the spoon speeding off towards the sink and the pot in the bin. "Do you think you can talk now?"

"Absolutely," Hermione took a deep breath, calming her nerves. "What do you want to happen between us?"

"Oh," Draco seemed rather taken-aback by her question. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't want us to just have one night and then it all to be over and done with."

"I agree," Hermione said. "But is it even possible for us to consider a relationship?"

"I don't know," Draco sighed. "I want to say yes, but there's still so much inter-house competitiveness that I fear that we will quickly become scorned."

"What are we going to do?" Hermione clasped his hands in hers. "If I'm honest, I want us to try to be together."

"So do I," Draco closed his eyes. "So much."

"Should we just leave it for now?" Hermione suggested. "Maybe if we leave it until after Christmas it will be easier."

"I don't want to have to wait," Draco said rather stubbornly. "I want you to be mine."

"It's just not possible," Hermione answered, her brain overruling her heart.

"Fine," Draco took back his hands and stood up. "I was hoping we would be able to get together and forget everyone else but Miss Know-It-All is too afraid of what everyone else will think. You see, the Gryffindor Princess has to uphold her perfect reputation."

"Draco, that's not fair," Hermione cried, feeling her eyes begin to moisten at his hurtful words.

"No, that is fair. What isn't fair is the fact that I was willing to give my heart to you and you've just stamped all over it!" Draco shouted.

"Please, Draco," her voice was quiet, fearful. "I didn't say never. I do want to be with you."

"Then be with me!"

Hermione's heart was crying out for her to just leap up and kiss him senseless, accepting him as hers, but her head was resonating that she'd be a fool to trust him, she'd be a fool to throw everything away for love.

"No."

His face crumpled in pain and he turned and fled away from her.

"Draco, wait," Hermione called after him but he had already slammed the bedroom door shut. She went up to the door, leaning against it with her hand poised to knock. However, her hand paused when she heard broken sobs through the wood. She could feel her heart breaking at the sound.

* * *

><p>Ohhhh noes :( why is she being mean? :( review please guys<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning Hermione leapt out of bed early and ran her brush through her hair, quickly taming it before throwing on her clothes, grabbing her bag and hurrying out into the living room.

She hoped to catch Draco before he left. The living room and the kitchen seemed undisturbed and she sat down on the sofa, watching his door.

After about twenty minutes the door eased open, and a dishevelled Draco emerged. He had thrown on his uniform but it was clear that he hadn't done anything with his hair.

"Draco," she said, hoping that he would greet her.

He simply ignored her and moved into the kitchen. Hermione held out a cup of coffee but he refused to take it, busying himself with making his own.

"Draco, will you please talk to me?" she begged.

"There's nothing to say," he said coldly.

"Please, Draco."

He looked at her, his eyes full of hurt.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Hermione finally asked.

"You can talk to me when you want to be with me," Draco said.

"I want to be with you!" Hermione exploded. "I want to be with you but you do not understand me at all. It's not fucking feasible."

"Then there's a simple solution," Draco stepped straight up to her, staring down at her. "Think, you're supposed to be smart."

"I don't know, I don't know!" Hermione cried out, frustrated with him.

"Think," Draco said softly.

"Just tell me, please?" she pleaded with him, on the brink of tears.

"Okay, here it is," Draco smiled slightly. "Why don't we date, but keep it a secret? Confine it to these walls only?"

"Oh," Hermione was dumbfounded by the simplicity of it. "I feel a little stupid now."

"What do you say?" Draco was clearly anxious for an answer.

"I say yes," Hermione smiled, then reached up onto her tiptoes and kissed him lightly. "It's a brilliant idea."

Draco sighed with visible relief, joy suddenly returning to his eyes.

"I'm sort of glad you said yes," he confessed. "I got something for you."

He reached into his trouser pocket and brought out a flat box, about twenty inches square.

"Before you open it, I want to explain one thing," Draco hesitated a second. "It's a Malfoy tradition and I want you to have it."

He handed her the box and she opened it to find a choker, black in colour but inlaid with alternating diamonds and emeralds. She gasped and almost pushed the box back into his hands.

"I can't take this," she said, awed.

"Please, do so," Draco insisted. "It's my gift for you. I hope for you to wear it at all times."

"It's too fancy for school," Hermione shook her head.

"Ahh, yes, but the beauty of it is that only the people that know about the relationship, as in, those told by us, will be able to see it," Draco explained. "So you can wear it. It will never break, never lose any of its jewels and never fade. It was built to last."

He lifted it out of the box and held it up, praying that Hermione would take it. She smiled so beautifully at him and then turned around, moving her hair out of the way so that he could clasp it around her neck. As it fastened, a white light was emitted from the back that only Draco could see.

When she turned back around she saw Draco, more handsome than ever in his apparent joy. She pulled his head down to kiss him, and what should have been a simple thank you kiss was quickly turned into something more passionate and urgent. Draco's hand somehow ended up on her breast, and then the other hand began to slip up her skirt, searing a path up to her panties.

"Draco, stop, please," Hermione begged, stepping away from him. "I don't want to do this yet."

"That's fine," Draco cupped her face. "I'm more than happy to wait for you."

"Thank you for understanding," Hermione replied, her heart light.

"Of course I understand," Draco smiled at her. "Now, shouldn't we get going? We're going to be late to Potions."

"Oh shit," Hermione gasped, snatching up her school bag. "Let's get moving."

"You know you should probably stop your dirty words before someone catches you out," Draco joked.

"But dirty words can be useful in certain situations," Hermione winked at him before dashing off.

As luck would have it they skidded into the lesson with seconds to spare, sitting down together at a desk at the back. Ginny shot Hermione an odd look before mouthing those foreboding words, '_I'll talk to you later.' _Hermione shrunk away from her, much to Draco's amusement.

"Yes, you can tell her," he muttered to her.

"Awesome," Hermione perked up. "I'd hate to have to keep it from her."

"But she can't tell anyone else, okay?" Draco waited until he got an answering nod from Hermione. "And on the condition that I can tell Blaise."

"Okay, sure," Hermione replied. "Is Blaise like your best friend then?"

"I guess so," Draco said. "I mean, we only really starting talking towards the end of fifth year but we'd known each other for years because of our parents. We became pretty good friends because we were both against our parents' beliefs."

"I see," Hermione said quietly, just as Snape started the lesson.

Ginny pounced on Hermione as soon as they were out of the lesson and in a deserted corridor.

"Well?" She demanded. "I know something's happened."

"Ummm, yes," Hermione bit her lip. "We're kind of going out."

"Oh my god," Ginny breathed. "That's fantastic."

"We're keeping it a secret though," Hermione warned. "So no telling anyone, not even Harry."

Ginny pouted for a second until she spotted the choker around Hermione's neck.

"Jesus, Hermione, where did you get that from?"

"Draco," Hermione replied. "Apparently it's a Malfoy tradition or something. The only people who can see it…."

"Are the people who have been directly told about the relationship," Ginny finished, her eyes wide. "Yeah, I know all about it. All the pureblood families know about that Malfoy tradition."

"Uh-oh, why do I get the feeling I won't like this?"

"I don't think you will because this choker signifies that Draco is bonded to you and intends to marry you," Ginny said. "The choker cannot be taken off now because it was used to show an eternal bond between the couple. You cannot leave him and he cannot leave you."

"You fucking what?" Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously. "I may like him quite a bit but that boy has no right to fucking bond me to him for the rest of my life!"

"I know," Ginny sighed. "I only know of one case where the woman was unaware of the significance and that was Narcissa Malfoy."

"But she's a pureblood," Hermione said.

"I know, but her parents orchestrated the marriage with his parents and so didn't tell her about it. Narcissa thought it was simply a gift and then suddenly found herself tied to him," Ginny explained.

"But they were married until his death."

"She fell in love with him afterwards," Ginny said.

Hermione sank to her knees, mindless of where she was.

"What am I to do?" She whispered.

"There isn't anything you can do," Ginny said to her best friend. "You have to learn to deal with it. No spell can remove it – the ancient magic is too complex to be undone. I suggest you just made the most of it. Draco's hot, rich and obviously completely in love with you. That's a good start."

Hermione smiled weakly.

"I think I need to talk to him."

* * *

><p>As soon as Draco walked through the portrait to go into the living room, he knew something was wrong. Hermione was sat on the sofa, staring rather angrily at him. He put his bag down, sighed, and went over to her, noticing that with her anger her eyes sparkled more and were full of passion.<p>

"What did you do to me, Malfoy?" She asked, her tone dark.

"Malfoy?" Draco repeated. "Why are you calling me that?"

"Because of this!" She seized hold of the choker around her neck. "Because of what you've done to me."

"What did I do to you?" Draco asked, bemused.

"Come on, think, you're the one who did it," Hermione said sarcastically.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco replied.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Hermione snapped. "Just fucking own up to what you've done."

"No, seriously, Hermione, what is it that I've done wrong?" Draco asked. "Please tell me because all I did was get you a choker."

"From your family vault?" Hermione questioned.

"Of course," Draco answered. "That's where most of our jewellery is kept."

"Do you mean to tell me that you honestly don't know the significance of the choker?" Hermione asked.

"What significance?" Draco said exasperated.

"Ahh, holy shit," Hermione put her head in her hands for a second before looking up at him. "You've pledged yourself to me and vice versa. The choker represents an eternal bond, one neither of us can back out of. It's final. It means that we have to stay together because the choker will never let us go with anyone else."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm not, I'm telling the truth. Ginny told me after I told her about us and she saw the choker and then I referenced it and found out that it is true. Congratulations, Draco Malfoy, you're now bonded to me for eternity."

There was a deathly silence in the room as Draco contemplated those words. He cast a glance at Hermione, who, to his complete surprise, had started crying. She was crying so silently that he wouldn't have known that she was if he hadn't looked at her, but it was obviously quite bad because tears were streaming down her face and her face had already gone red.

"Hermione, calm down, please," Draco reached out to her and hugged her. "It'll be fine. I'll try and be a good husband."

"It's not that bit that I'm worried about," she cried. "You're going to have to be stuck with me. Hermione Granger, the know-it-all, insufferable, bitchy, ugly bookworm with big teeth!"

"Hermione, yes you are a know-it-all, yes you insufferable and yes you are a bookworm. But you're also beautiful, clever, sexy, nice and I'm happy at the idea of spending the rest of my life with you," Draco said to her.

"Really?" She looked at him, her crying halted for now.

"Yes, really," Draco smiled at her. "Now, I think we should just take one step at a time, okay? Let's just act like the choker doesn't mean that and take our relationship one step at a time."

"Okay," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "That's a good idea."

"Okay, babe, let's get you into bed," Draco picked her up in his arms and carried her into her room, where he took off her shoes and socks, and turned around politely when she got changed. When he was given permission to turn around again she was under the covers, tucked up and smiling up at him.

"Do you want a hot chocolate?" He asked.

"No, thank you," she replied. "I'm happy the way I am."

She moved slightly and the quilt slid down, revealing her bare shoulders.

"Erm, please don't think me forward to ask, but are you actually wearing anything under there?"

"My panties," she answered, with a slight hint of playfulness in her voice.

"Oh, god, you are going to be the death of me, woman," Draco half teased, as his penis came to attention at the thought of a practically naked Hermione in bed.

"Problem much?" she almost purred at him when she caught sight of the tent in his trousers.

"Um, yeah, a little," Draco admitted. "But we won't do anything, okay? Don't feel pressured into doing anything tonight. We haven't even been going out a day!"

"Oh yeah," her brow furrowed. "It seems kinda a waste when we're both turned on though. Why don't we just play around a bit? Not like full sex but 'deal with each other's problem'.

His face lit up at that.

"Well, strip to your underwear and get under the covers," she commanded, scooting over so he could join her.

Draco undressed quickly, jumping in bed with her in less than a minute.

"Why do you want to do this?" He asked.

"I don't know," Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it's a bit of my hormones. I went from angry to completely upset and it's just bounced back on me. And besides, we're pledged to each other for the rest of our lives. I know you won't leave me afterwards."

"I wouldn't have left you anyway," he murmured before he caught her lips in a searing kiss.

His hands wrapped around her body and pulled her in close, pressing up against her. Her bare breasts pressed up against his chest and they felt delicious. The kiss deepened intensely and he took the moment to slid one of his hands down her bare shoulders and he grazed her breast with the back of his hand, fuelling the fire that was building with both of them.

She shifted her body so that her breast fell into his hand, and he began to caress it softly. She moaned under his touch, feeling the heat rush straight to her lower stomach as he rubbed his thumb over her nipple. He broke the kiss and placed his lips on her nipple, using his tongue to create sparks of heat through her. He sucked slightly before biting it. She cried out at this, arching her back so she could push her breasts up towards him, silently asking for more. He laved the nipple with his tongue so she felt a slight sense of relief from the sharp pain of the bite, before he bit it again. When she cried out once more he smiled.

"Does Hermione like it rough?" Draco asked, his lips moving tantalisingly over her other nipple.

"Yeah, just a little bit," she said back, her voice breathless.

He bit a little harder on her nipple and she positively screamed at him. He glanced up her to see her gazing back at him, lust clear in her eyes.

"Touch me please," she begged him.

He obliged, slipping a hand down further and further to her underwear. When he reached it, he slipped his hand underneath and found completely smooth skin.

"Were you expecting me or something?" Draco grinned up at her.

"That's how I have it anyway," Hermione answered, her tone slightly indignant. "It feels better. I don't like the hair there."

"Are you completely shaved then?" He looked wide-eyed at her.

She nodded, a smirk playing across her face. He groaned at that sexy mix of naughtiness and innocence. She was so hot, but she didn't know it. In fact, Draco expected her to try and pull away from him but she didn't, even allowing him to take off her underwear. He looked at it when he had it in his hands and sighed. It was black and lacy. Of course, it was black and lacy.

"Normal underwear," she answered his unspoken question. "I like wearing underwear like that. I don't own any big pants or anything plain."

"Seriously?" she smiled at him. "Wow, you aren't like any girl I know."

"That's because I'm not like any other girl," she replied. "Now will you stop talking about something that requires thought and start satisfying me?"

He looked astonished at her words but captured her lips with his own before slipping one finger in-between her folds, seeking out that tiny little nub that he knew would bring her pleasure. When he found it, he rubbed it quickly, eliciting a cry from her as she arched her back and closed her eyes, her mouth open in that perfect moment of pleasure.

"Oh, wow," she gasped, coming down from her high. "How the fuck did you make me come that quick?"

"I know what to do," he answered, moving his finger lower down to find her soaking wet. "Turned on, are we?"

"Well, you have just been playing with me," she answered.

"Playing? I think it's called making you cum," he slid a finger inside her, watching her eyes roll back in her head from the pleasure.

"Let me deal with you as well," she breathed, urging him to lie next to her.

He lay down next to her, not removing his finger at all. When her hand reached inside his boxers and pulled out his throbbing penis, he groaned at her touch, fighting back the urge to thrust into her hands. As she began to move her hand up and down, he thrusted his finger into her slickness, adding another soon after. He began to put his fingers in and push upwards with the tips when he was in, which hit her spot. Within a minute he had her writhing in bliss on the bed again.

"Hermione, I'm getting close," Draco warned.

"So come then," she ordered, working her hand up and down even faster.

Only a few more thrusts later he split his seed in her hand, calling out her name as he did so. He collapsed down onto the bed, taking his fingers out as Hermione grabbed her wand from the bedside table and cleaned them both and the bed.

"You're brilliant at that, you know," Draco said, his voice husky.

"Thank you," she blushed. "You're not so bad yourself."

Draco smiled at her blush, finding it endearing just how innocent she was.

"Anyway, it's getting late so I'm going to go back into my room," Draco went to get off the bed but Hermione put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Please don't," she pleaded. "Stay with me?"

"Of course," Draco instantly climbed back into bed.

Hermione reached down and pulled on her underwear, a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top.

"Why are you getting dressed?" Draco asked.

"I don't know," Hermoine replied. "It just feels weird being around someone else without clothes on."

"It is me," Draco said. "I've just touched you intimately and you want to put your clothes back on?"

"Don't take any insult from that, please," she urged. "I just don't feel that comfortable."

"Fair enough," he said. "Well, I'm just going to stick with my boxers, okay?"

"That's fine," she said as she snuggled down into bed. "I'm going to go to sleep now."

Draco leant over and kissed her softly. They laid down so that they were facing one another, their hands entwined between them. Hermione quickly fell asleep, and Draco took a few moments to watch her sleep peacefully.

_She's so beautiful…I can't believe she's mine forever…_

He watched her nose crinkle as a curl of hair fell onto it and irritated it and he gently tucked the curl behind her ear, leaning over to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. When his head hit the pillow again he fell asleep.

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><p>As soon as Ginny saw Hermione's satisfied face the next morning she knew instantly what had happened. She pulled her over to one side after breakfast.<p>

"What happened? How the hell did you end up sleeping with him?" She hissed.

"I didn't sleep with him," Hermione answered. "We did fool around a little though."

"Fool around? How the hell did you get from completely pissed off to fooling around?" Ginny's voice picked up and Hermione shushed her.

Hermione ran through the events of the night, watching Ginny's face get more and more astonished, before the sudden mischievous delight at the sexual actions.

"Oh I knew it," she clapped her hands happily. "So he really didn't know?"

"No, he didn't," Hermione said. "He swore he had never heard of it and I do actually believe him."

"Hmmm, well I will definitely have to tell him that if he hurts you in any way I'll personally destroy him," Ginny smiled wickedly.

"Ginny, what would Mum say if she heard you speak like that?" Ron's voice interrupted them.

Ginny ignored him.

"Are you seriously still ignoring me?" Ron asked. "That was ages ago."

"Yes, but you still haven't apologised," Hermione replied. "And you ruined all of my homework."

"When I dropped your bag? Oh shit, Hermione, I'm sorry about that," Ron looked genuinely upset. "I had hoped we would be getting back to normal but I went and screw up again, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, Weasley," Draco turned up at that moment. "Hermione slaved over that homework twice and not once did you apologise to her or offer to help her with work."

"But the quality would be worse if I did her work," Ron complained.

"But you still didn't help," Draco said sternly.

"Ah, I fucking give up," Ron threw his hands in the air and stormed off, walking past a rather amused Harry.

"What is this, a pick on Ron day?" He enquired.

"Nah, that's just part of it," Ginny smiled at him.

"We were actually on about having a party," Draco said.

"Bullshit were we!" Hermione exclaimed. "I agreed to no such thing!"

"Well we are," Draco grinned at them. "Saturday night."

"You can clean up," Hermione snorted.

"Cool, the house-elves will do it for me," He said.

"No, you will not get the house-elves to clean up your mess," Hermione ordered. "Either you promise to clean up afterwards or we're not having it."

"Domestic in the hallway," Ginny stage-whispered to Harry.

"Fine, I'll tidy up," Draco rolled his eyes playfully.

"Good, then the party is on," Hermione said. "Now, who's going?"

"Me, you, Ginny, Harry, Blaise, Teddy, Pansy, Neville and Millie," Draco reeled off. "Sound okay?"

"Sounds a little hectic but okay," Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

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><p>Done, done and done hope you like! Let us know.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, well we seem to be getting 2 reviews per chapter on average at the moment – a little disappointed after all the work we've put it so those who read and don't review – make us happy now?

This chapter is a little short but some of the chapters do vary in length :)

**Justthewayitis – **Luna is turning up shortly! I can't have a story with Neville in it without Luna :0

**Finch98 – **thank you for reviewing all the time we love you! Have a virtual cookie ^^

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Later that day, when they were all sat in the Hall for dinner, music started playing. Hermione instantly recognised the song – it was Pink's 'Raise Your Glass', but she wondered who was being brave enough to sing.

"_Right, right, turn up the lights,_

_We're gonna lose our minds tonight_

_What's the dealeo? '_

Hermione followed the sound of the voice and was shocked to see Pansy stood up at the Slytherin table, singing the song to the congregation. She smiled at her bravery.

'_I love when it's all too much,_

_5 am, turn the radio up_

_Where's the rock and roll?_

_Party crasher, panty snatcher,_

_Call me up if you a gangster_

_Don't be fancy, just get dancey'_

Pansy looked down at her house only to see that they were staring sullenly back at her. One of the boys dragged his thumb across his throat, signalling danger if she continued.

Her voice faltered on the final words, so much so that Hermione barely heard them. From the other side of the hall, Hermione couldn't see what was going on, but she could guess that Pansy was receiving much hostility from her house. Hermione took a deep breath and began to sing the chorus.

'_So raise your glass if you are wrong_

_In all the right ways_

_All my underdogs, we will never be, never be_

_Anything but loud and nitty gritty_

_Dirty little freaks_

_Won't you come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass_

_Just come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass.'_

She saw Pansy look at her gratefully, and she climbed to her feet to support her. Pansy began to sing again:

'_slam, slam, oh hot damn_

_What part of party don't you understand?_

_Wish you'd just freak out.'_

Hermione echoed the last line, watching intently as her house began to smile and clap along to the song. She felt glad that Pansy had chosen a fairly upbeat song, because it meant that she would have the backing of the rest of the school.

'_Can't stop coming in hot, _

_I should be locked up right on the spot,_

_It's so on right now'_

Hermione joined in for the next bit, as both the girls edged their way towards each other, determined to act united and unafraid.

'_party crasher, panty snatcher_

_Call me up if you a gangter_

_Don't be fancy, just get dancey,_

_Why so serious?'_

"Come on, people, join in!" Hermione yelled out. Much to their joy, the majority of students stood up, lifted their goblets in the air and sang along.

'_So raise your glass if you are wrong_

_In all the right ways_

_All my underdogs, we will never be, never be_

_Anything but loud and nitty gritty_

_Dirty little freaks_

_Won't you come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass_

_Just come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass.'_

"Well done everyone!" Pansy shouted out. "Thank you for the support."

"You know you're quite a nice person for a Slytherin," Hermione joked.

"And you're quite a good person for a…." Pansy paused, hearing the crowd take an intake of breath, wondering what was coming next. "For a Gryffindor!"

She winked at Hermione before leaving the Great Hall. After a couple of minutes, once everyone had resumed their seats, Hermione noticed a few Slytherin boys whose names she couldn't recall stand up and leave.

"Harry, something's going on," She whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Pansy was afraid when she was singing and now a group of boys have left together," Hermione explained.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Harry said.

Hermione groaned and hurried over to the Slytherin table, where she found Draco sat between Blaise and Teddy.

"Guys, I think something bad's going to happen to Pansy," she whispered urgently.

"Why?" Blaise asked.

"Because she was scared when she was singing and now some boys have left together, not long after she did," Hermione said quickly.

"Okay then, let's check it out," Draco stood up.

The four of them quickly left the Great Hall, but not before Hermione managed to pickpocket the Marauder's Map from Harry's pocket. Once outside the Hall she opened it up and tapped it, whispering the password so that the boys didn't hear it. She saw Pansy's name but her heart filled with dread as she also saw three more names: Malcolm Baddock, Graham Pritchard and Amos Flint, Marcus's younger brother.

"Ah, shit," Hermione said. "Astronomy Tower, now!"

She began to run, with the boys hot on her heels as she sprinted down the numerous Hogwarts corridors to reach the Astronomy Tower. She couldn't hear anything from the bottom, but when she reached halfway up the stairs she could hear Pansy's screams. She hurried up the remaining stairs, ignoring Draco's whispered plea to let him go first.

She entered the room and saw a half-naked and bloody Pansy on the floor, with one of the boys stood over her, his wand held high as he tormented her with another spell. The other two boys watched gleefully.

"Get away from her, you sick fuck," Hermione growled.

The boys started, horror crossing their faces. It quickly slipped off when they saw that Hermione was the only one in the room.

"Accio wand," one of the boys said, and Hermione's wand flew out of her hand.

"A mudblood," one laughed. "It should be fun to see how dirty her blood really is."

"Come here, whore," another ordered.

"Erm, no," Hermione said, perfectly calmly.

"We'll make you pay for disrespecting me!" He yelled and moved forward, raising his hand to strike her. Hermione never flinched, merely smiled as the boy froze, his hand in the air.

"I don't think so," Draco's voice was icy cold. "Your fun is over, boys, and so is your time at Hogwarts. Something tells me that you'll end up in Askaban for this. Say hi to your parents from me, will you?"

"You have no proof of this!"

"Headmaster," Draco called, seeing the boys' faces fall when a very stern and angry Dumbledore stepped out from behind him.

"I didn't think this would ever happen in my school," he said quietly but furiously. "I almost didn't believe it which is why Mr Malfoy summoned me here. Miss Granger managed to get you to say enough to incriminate yourselves, not that the physical proof isn't enough. Now, sort yourselves out. I will be taking you to my office where the Minister will be arriving shortly."

The boys looked sombre as they followed the headmaster out of the room. Madam Pomfrey bustled in the room, and upon seeing Pansy, cried out in dismay.

"Oh, my dear girl, what have they done to you?" She cried.

Pansy didn't talk. Hermione pushed past the matron and sat down next to Pansy, taking a blanket from the friendly woman and wrapping it around her.

"Pansy, it's all okay, we're here for you now," Hermione soothed. "We're here for you."

"They didn't get a chance to rape me," she said in a monotonous voice. "You guys turned up and interrupted them."

"That's good though," Hermione said.

"Yeah but it's just horrible," Pansy shook slightly. "They were telling me what they were going to do to me and it made me sick."

"They didn't get to do it, Pansy," Hermione said softly. "Madam Pomfrey's going to take you to the hospital wing."

"I won't be safe!" Pansy cried out, her voice loud and empowering. "My whole house wants to kill me for being stupid enough to sing a song and also sing it with a mudblood!"

Hermione refused to let the word sting her, knowing that she was only using it to describe what had happened. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey can lock the door to the infirmary so that no one can get in."

"I don't want to stay there!" Pansy sobbed, tears falling from her eyes as she clung to Hermione.

"Pans, babe," Blaise knelt next to her. "Why don't you stay with us? We'll keep you safe, you know we will."

"Blaise," the word fell from her mouth and then suddenly she fainted.

"Don't worry, it's just the shock," Pomfrey said. "We should take her to the hospital wing. I need to examine her."

"She can stay with me tonight," Hermione stated. "It's one of the most secure places in the whole castle."

"I'll speak to the headmaster," Pomfrey said briskly.

She pulled out her wand and levitated an unconscious Pansy.

"Guys, I'll go to the hospital wing with her, she'll need a girl with her and you know I can duel fine but I doubt she'll need any protection now," Hermione said.

"Okay, we'll leave you guys alone," Draco sighed. "But if anything happens I will kill whoever touches you."

"I know," Hermione allowed a brief smile to cross her face before following Madam Pomfrey down the stairs and along to the hospital wing. The boys left them halfway along, presumable to go back to the headquarters, with strict words of warning from Draco to not do anything foolish.

"I'm going to lock these doors for now," the Nurse said once she had Pansy in one of the beds. She waved her wand and the doors clicked shut. "I'm going to have to examine her if you wouldn't mind waiting out here? I'm just going to pull the curtains around. I think Miss Parkinson would prefer some privacy."

Hermione consented, although she secretly thought that Pansy would prefer a friendly face. As she waited around, her thoughts crossed to the despicable behaviour she had witnessed. The boys had only shown any remorse upon the headmaster's involvement, and she expected that was only because they were afraid of what would happen to them.

Why was it that people refused to tolerate Muggle-Borns? It wasn't as if they weren't people, but they were often treated like vermin. Hermione's thoughts became dark as she contemplated the lasting impacts Voldemort had imprinted onto their generation. This problem would never end, especially not in her lifetime.

"Miss Granger," Pomfrey interrupted her thoughts. "She's awake now."

"May I ask if you found anything?" Hermione questioned, dreading the answer.

"Well, as far as I can tell there is no evidence of sexual assault," She replied, much to Hermione's relief. "However, she did suffer two broken ribs, a broken nose and several lacerations to her skin. Thankfully the cuts aren't deep, so they'll mend quite easily. I've given her some Skele-Gro, so she'll have a very painful night ahead of her."

"Thank you," Hermione politely dismissed her, and the friendly Nurse went into her office, presumable to contact Dumbledore.

Hermione slipped through the gap in the curtain to see a rather distraught girl. In that instant, she realised just how much the attack had affected her. Pansy had always been a very outspoken and confident girl, but the image before her was of a young child, huddled in a bed, her eyes looking everywhere at once as if she were truly petrified.

"Hey," Hermione said softly, easing closer to her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she replied. Even her voice was quiet, Hermione realised. "I don't really know how to feel. I mean, I feel sort of empty."

"It's okay," Hermione reached out and took one of Pansy's hands. "You know that we're all here for you, right? Me, Draco, Blaise, Teddy, Ginny, Harry, Neville, Millie – all here for you. Those boys are going down for a very long time so it won't happen again."

"I guess I shouldn't hang around with you any more, hey," Pansy smiled weakly. "But then again, when did I ever do what I'm supposed to? Stupid boys won't stop me from being friends with anyone. I just wish I had the opportunity to kill them."

"I know, hun, I understand," Hermione squeezed her hand. "Well, when you get out of here, I'm going to arrange for you to share a room with me, okay? It's the safest and best place for you."

"Thanks but I think I should go back to my own dorm. I can't hide away from things that are so pathetic. All they did was rough me up a bit, I've had worse from my own father," Pansy said darkly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," Pansy suddenly brightened up. "So, a party on Saturday?"

"Are you going to be strong enough to come?"

"Hell, yes, I am!" She said.

"Miss Granger, I think it's time to leave," Madam Pomfrey said. "It's getting late and Miss Parkinson needs her rest."

"Okay then," Hermione impulsively leant over and gave Pansy a hug which she reciprocated. "I'll come here first thing in the morning and see how you slept, okay? Now, try and rest."

"Don't worry, I will," she replied. Her whole demeanor shifted slightly and she said, almost shyly, "Could you ask Blaise to come and see me?"

Hermione threw her an odd look before a quick smile crossed her face. After she swore she would pass the message on, she left the hospital wing, waiting until she heard the locks click before she wandered back to the headquarters, her wand at the ready just in case.

"Christmas," she whispered to the portrait image of herself.

"Not quite yet," The portrait quipped, before swinging forward and allowing her to enter the living room.

"How is she?" Teddy leapt up from the sofa that he and Blaise were occupying.

"She's fine," Hermione threw up her hands. "Two broken ribs, a broken nose and some cuts."

On the sofa, Blaise rolled his hands into fists and had to restrain himself from doing damage to the room.

"She wasn't sexually assaulted," Hermione tacked on.

"Thank fuck for that!" Teddy sat back down on the sofa.

"How is she in herself?" Blaise asked, his voice full of tension.

"She seems quiet but normal. She reckons that this won't affect her at all and she's determined to continue to stay in her dorm even though I offered for her to stay here."

"Tea, babe?" Draco called.

"Yes, please," Hermione said. "Oh, Blaise, she's asked if you could go see her in the morning."

"She has?" He looked up, a light shining in his eyes.

"Yep, now will you two please get out of here? It's getting late and we're not supposed to encourage rule-breaking," Hermione said.

"Yeah, sure," Blaise pulled Teddy up and they said their goodbyes before leaving.

Hermione sat down on the sofa and sighed, taking the cup of tea that Draco handed to her and cradling it in her hands as he sat down next to her.

"Draco, you know the Parkinsons well, right?" She asked. He nodded. "Well, Pansy said something to me. She said that she would survive this because she's been through worse at the hands of her father. What did she mean by that?"

"Ahhh," Draco sat up and rubbed his head. "The problem with pureblood families is they think they can get away with anything. Parents abuse their children in terrible ways, and we're all supposed to put up with it because it's natural. Pansy was unfortunate. Her father used to have sex with her and she believed it was perfectly normal."

"What? Why?" Hermione cried out in shock.

"Because both her parents had encouraged her to have a sexual relationship with her father," Draco sighed. "They told her it was normal."

"That's sick!" Hermione was repulsed. "But she said earlier that she never gave it up to anyone."

"Anyone in school," Draco explained. "Her father used to tell her that she belonged to him and him alone and she couldn't be with anyone else. In fact, it was only after Blaise found out about the whole thing that she began to realise that it was wrong. By the end of the war she held so much anger towards her father."

"I would have killed him!"

"She did," Draco said. "Blaise stood next to her as she killed him, and from what I'm told she did it very slowly and painfully."

"How so?"

"She strung him up by his ankles and then cut him in numerous places so he was bleeding profusely and then she cut off his penis and stuffed it down his throat so he suffocated."

"Ergh, that's nasty," Hermione grimaced. "He deserved it though."

"He definitely did," Draco sighed.

"Draco, when you said about purebloods in general, do you mean you as well?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Most of my abuse was physical," Draco said quietly. "I used to get beaten a lot but luckily those wounds heal. My father did try to rape me once but thankfully my mother stopped him, she said it was just too far."

"Do you think it's normal?" Hermione asked, suddenly a little concerned about being around him.

"No, not at all," Draco looked angry. "It's fucking sick, Hermione, okay? It should never happen and if I hear of anything like that happening again then I will actually kill whoever does it."

"Draco, calm down please," Hermione hugged him. "It's in the past and your father's dead anyway so it's all over with."

"I know that but I just feel sorry for people like Pansy," Draco sighed. "Physical wounds heal, severe emotional ones like that don't."

"I'm not so sure," Hermione said. "I think love heals a lot of emotional wounds, and she's definitely in love."

"Really? With Blaise?" Draco brightened up.

"Yep," Hermione grinned. "I don't think she quite realises it herself yet but I can tell. I think it's really sweet."

"Blaise has adored her for years," Draco said. "Absolutely adored her. We had to stop him from going to her house and burning it down when he found out about her abuse. Hopefully they'll figure it out and finally do something about it. They've been skirting around it for a while now and it's about time they got together."

He sat down on the sofa and opened up his arms so Hermione could lean back against him. He kissed the top of her head and just sat there, enjoying the feeling of having the most perfect girl in the world in his arms. After a while Draco realised that she had fallen asleep, and carefully lifted her and carried her into her room, taking off some of her clothes before putting her in bed. He softly kissed her forehead then left the room, closing the door carefully so not to make a sound.

Back out in the living room he was amused to see that she had left her tea, and he simply reheated it then drank it himself – after all, they took tea exactly the same way. After washing the cup and leaving it out to dry he went into his room and stripped down to his boxers. He laid in his bed for a while, before realising that it just felt too empty.

Quietly he crept out of bed and tiptoed across to Hermione's room. Once there he slid into her bed, and instantly she cuddled up to him, still completely asleep. The missing piece in Draco was filled in that moment and he happily closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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><p>End Chapter<p>

Poor Pansy :'(

The party is in the next chapter!

Let us know how we're doing and keep us happy!

Until next time

toodles!

xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey again readers well we managed to get 4 reviews for the last chapter so thank you to everyone who did review. Please, continue to review and if you haven't reviewed yet please do so!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Hermione woke up in her own bed, but something about it was different. She glanced over and saw a still sleeping Draco hidden under the covers and smiled at the sight, feeling pleased that he had slept next to her the previous night. She slowly eased herself out of the bed and jumped in the shower to wash herself. Once she was dressed, her hair tamed and her face fully awake now, she crept out of the room and used the fireplace in the living room to floo to the Gryffindor Tower.

Once there she ran up the stairs to Harry's dorm and rifled through his stuff, clasping hold of his invisibility cloak and whispering in his ear that she was borrowing it. All she got back was a sleepy murmur, which she took to be consent and then she dashed off the hospital wing, throwing the cloak over her just as she stepped inside. She slipped into Pansy's little cubicle and was pleased to see that she was awake and more vibrant than the night before. In fact, she seemed almost normal.

"Pansy!" Blaise said, walking up to her. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, I, um…" Pansy seemed lost for words. "I just wanted to see you."

Blaise looked floored by her response, but pulled up a chair and sat by the head of the bed, watching Pansy intently.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Sore, but better than I did," Pansy answered. "I'm only sore because of having to have my bones re-grown. It's not pleasant."

"I know it's not," Blaise sighed, his face full of anger. "Pans, I just wish I could get hold of those fuckers and teach them a lesson."

"Blaise, calm down a little," Pansy reached out and took his hand. "I'm safe, okay? They're going to rot in jail for this."

"I'd rot in jail if it meant ridding the Earth of them," he growled fiercely.

Hermione watched him from underneath her invisibility cloak and could feel the regret radiating off of him. She could tell that he hated what had happened to her, but most of all, he regretted not being there to save her. As she looked at him she realised she was looking at a man in love.

"Blaise, you getting angry isn't going to help me get out of this bed any quicker," Pansy said.

"I know, but just fuck!" He couldn't even voice his frustration. "Pansy, when I saw you laying there, all covered in blood and half naked I was petrified that it was your father all over again. I was scared that you were going to relapse like you did last time and I was scared that the girl I'd come to love would disappear."

"Did you just say love?" Pansy gasped.

"Yes, I did, because I love you, Pansy Parkinson," Blaise looked at her, tears falling down his face. "I want to be by your side forever, I want to grow old with you and have children and have you as my wife. If you don't feel the same way then I'll have to live with a broken heart as your friend because I'd rather be your friend then not be near you at all."

"Oh, Blaise," Pansy started crying as well. "I love you too. I was always scared of telling you because of what happened to me. I was scared you'd laugh at me because I was used goods."

"I would never do that," Blaise stood up and embraced her, holding onto her tightly as they both cried, tears of sorrow at the past but tears of joy at their future. "Please, Pansy, I want you to marry me. I don't have a ring yet but please just accept. Please."

"Absolutely," she smiled up at him through her tears. "I don't ever want to be with anyone else."

As Hermione restrained herself from cheering, they sealed their promise to each other with a heartfelt kiss. She quietly slipped away, leaving them together as she quietly thought over her own situation with Draco. Did she love him? It had all happened so fast between them that she hadn't even really contemplated that question. Could she imagine spending the rest of her life with him? In all honesty, the answer was yes. She knew that they could never had a love like Pansy and Blaise's, their love had grown out of a mutual compassion for one another and they looked as if they belonged together, whereas hers and Draco's seemed more like a random act of fate. They were almost thrown together.

By the time she reached the headquarters she had taken off the cloak and was determined to see Draco and to talk to him. Thankfully he was up and about by the time she got there, and she asked him if he would be willing to sit down for a few minutes with her.

"I just witnessed the most amazing thing," Hermione exclaimed, reiterating the events of the morning. "But it got me thinking, our relationship was random, it formed out of nothing."

"Speak for yourself, I'd admired you for years from afar," Draco interjected.

"Draco, darling, shush," Hermione continued on. "I asked myself the question, did I love you? I didn't have an answer. But when I asked myself if I could imagine spending the rest of my life with you, waking up every morning and going to sleep every night in the same bed, following routines, having children, I had an answer and that was yes. I guess spending the rest of your life with someone and being happy about it must mean that I love you."

"Hermione, love isn't just about that," Draco replied. "It's about feeling as if a part of you is missing when you're not with them. It's wishing them all the happiness in the world, even if it's not with you. It's spending every minute of your life going 'oh would she do it like this, would she like this?'. Love is seeing someone's flaws and loving them nonetheless and it's all about what you would give up for that person. If the answer is everything, then you're in love."

"Oh, well I guess my love for you is more practically thought out then," Hermione mused.

"It is, and I wouldn't expect any less from you, Hermione, you are tactical and logical, but when it comes to love you can't be logical. It doesn't make sense to anyone."

"But how will I know if I truly love you or not?" Hermione asked.

"You'll just know," he smiled at her and gently kissed her.

"That's not helpful, Malfoy!" She stressed as he left the room to go to his first lesson.

She could have sworn that she heard him chuckle as the portrait swung shut. Hermione knew that she had plenty of time to spare before Charms and she decided to use the time to see Pansy. However, when she got there she was informed that Pansy had checked herself out that very morning, only twenty minutes ago.

"I told her not to but she just wouldn't listen," a rather harassed Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"It's okay, I'm sure she's in safe hands," Hermione reassured the Nurse before leaving.

Once outside the hospital wing she was surprised by Ron, who was waiting in an alcove for her.

"Ron, what are you trying to do, scare the living hell out of me?" Hermione snapped.

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to someone and I think you're the most forgiving of all of them," Ron looked terrible, as if he hadn't been sleeping at all lately.

"Okay, spill it," Hermione gestured for him to continue.

"I'm gay," his voice broke and he started crying.

"Oh, Ron, are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"No, not really," he looked at her. "My family's going to flip out and my brothers will take the piss out of me forever and ever."

"I'm sure they won't," Hermione said comfortingly. "They love you and they'd never hate you for something so trivial. Besides, your mum will get enough grandchildren from Ginny alone to keep her happy."

"Ha, yeah that's true," Ron cheered up for a moment.

"Besides, being gay in the wizarding world is really common," Hermione hugged him briefly. "It's really, really common and nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Yeah, but there's more to the problem," Ron muttered. "I fancy someone."

"Who?" Hermione's head rushed with the possibilities and finally settled on Harry. It must be, after all, Ron practically hero-worships him.

"Nott." Ron answered, much to Hermione's surprise.

"Are you being serious?" Hermione gasped. "When did you figure this out?"

"When I saw him that night when we were all in the Great Hall," Ron replied. "It was instant attraction but I can't do anything because he's obsessed with my sister! God, it's horrible."

"Okay, just because he's obsessed with your sister doesn't mean you don't have a chance," Hermione said. "I know, why don't you come to our party on Saturday and see what happens. I mean, you will have to apologise to everyone about your behaviour but they'll all be fine with you once you have."

"Should I?" Ron looked doubtful.

"There'll be alcohol and a lot of party games and you'll get to see Nott," Hermione tempted him. "Come on, please?"

"Fine," he grinned at her. "I'll be there."

* * *

><p>Saturday rolled around quickly, and whilst the rest of the gang (as Ron had nicknamed them) lazed around doing nothing, Hermione, Draco and Blaise were attempting to prepare the headquarters for the raucous party that was to take place there. Of course, Hermione was bossing the two boys around, raising her voice every so often to keep them in check.<p>

"I need a break," Blaise said, standing up straight and cracking his back in the process.

"You can have a break when we've finished," Hermione said sternly, continuing to move things around.

"No, seriously, love, we all need a break," Draco walked up to her and took her wand away. "It can wait for about ten minutes, okay?"

"But it won't be done in time," Hermione cried, looking around the living room.

In all honesty it was almost finished, but Hermione wasn't about to tell them that. They'd moved the furniture around to accommodate a table with ten chairs around it at one of end of room, a stereo in the middle and the table of drinks and food at the other end, blocking the way into the kitchen (Draco had specifically requested that the kitchen be off-limits – he didn't want his perfectly clean kitchen to suddenly be a completely state). They had shrunk the rest of the furniture which Hermione considered to be a shame because Draco's furniture from home had arrived the day before and even Hermione admitted, rather reluctantly, that it suited the room and was quite attractive. Even though the furniture would be resized Sunday, it seemed a pity to have to shove all the stuff into a closet and shut the door on it.

Hermione and Draco had placed locking charms on their doors so that only those with permission could enter it and the only bathroom available would be the smaller bathroom which had suddenly appeared on Thursday that contained just a toilet and sink which lead directly onto the living room.

"Hermione, don't you think it's done?" Draco asked.

"Almost," Hermione took her wand back and placed the finishing touches on the place (making sure that the carpet was impermeable was one – no one wanted sick stains in their nice clean carpet) before collapsing on one of the chairs.

"One moment," Blaise took out two coins from his pocket and swiftly transfigured them into two sofas, which he pushed up against the wall. "We're going to want somewhere to sit to socialise."

"Yep, that's true," Hermione said.

"Hermione!" Ginny's voice called. "Let me in please."

Hermione went to the portrait and opened it up, letting Ginny, Pansy, Millie and also Luna in.

"Luna Lovegood," Draco smiled at her. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Actually, she's joining me, you two are pissing off," Hermione said.

"How lovely, getting kicked out of my own place," Draco joked, rolling his eyes at Blaise. "Anyway, see you at nine."

"See you at nine," Hermione waited until they had closed the portrait before clapping her hands together. "So, shall we get ready?"

"Yes," the girls chorused.

"Okay, well we can get ready in my bedroom," Hermione led the way and the girls gasped at the size of the room.

"Thank you for inviting me, Hermione," Luna said, in her dreamy voice.

"That's okay, Luna," Hermione replied. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

"I like your bedroom," she walked around it.

"It's massive," Ginny said in awe. "Why have I never been in here before?"

"Because you're a nosy redhead," Hermione stuck her tongue out.

Ginny's retort was cut off by Pansy's squeal at the sight of the bathroom.

"That is your shower?" She cried out. "Please, can I go in it?"

"Yes, Pansy, you may," Hermione answered. "Now, Pansy, Millie and Luna, stay here and use this shower. Ginny, we'll use Draco's, okay?"

The girls nodded, still wide-eyed at the size of the shower. Hermione half-giggled before leaving the room with Ginny. She quickly took down the wards around Draco's room (having been the one to put them up she knew exactly how to remove them) and led the way into the bathroom. She saw that Ginny was fighting the urge to rifle through Draco's drawers and decided to have Ginny in the bathroom with her whilst she showered.

"Alright, I'm jumping in the shower first," Hermione said, grabbing a towel and hanging it up by the shower. She quickly cast a spell which meant that Ginny wouldn't be able to see in even if she tried (which Hermione doubted she would) and took a quick shower, washing her hair and body thoroughly.

Once she was out of the shower Ginny claimed it. Hermione pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top just to hang around the girls with before changing into her real outfit later. She dried her hair with magic and sat down and waited for her best friend to come out of the shower. Which she didn't.

"Ginny, come on, you're taking forever!"

"The shower's so nice though," Ginny whined.

"I swear, if you don't move your ass out of that shower I will move it for you!"

With a sigh, Ginny stepped out of the shower.

"Right, you get dressed in here and don't be long! We only have two hours to get ready!"

Hermione left Ginny in the bathroom and went into Draco's room, sitting down on the bed, waiting for her to come out. Thankfully she didn't take long and was in front of her in only five minutes. Upon entering Hermione's room they discovered the three other girls jumping up and down on the bed.

"Erm, what the hell?" Hermione was astonished.

"It's really fun!" Pansy gasped as she continued to bounce.

"Should you being doing that so soon?" Hermione asked.

"Madam Pomfrey told me I was back to normal," Pansy said. "I had a check-up this morning and apart from the bruise on my side, I'm in perfect health."

Pansy lifted her top up enough to show the angry purple bruise that covered her left side.

"Ouch, Pans, I didn't realise it was that bad!" Ginny looked at it closely. "Wow, does it hurt?"

"A little," she admitted. "Anyway, shouldn't we be getting ready?"

And so the fiasco was underway. The girls firstly did their hair and make-up, painstaking allowing Pansy and Luna to be in charge of that (at first it was just supposed to be Pansy but it turned out that the dreamy girl was extremely talented with hair). Millie's was straightened meticulously, so that it hung down her back. Her style of hair was perfect for that, as the cut framed her face and accented her rather delicate features. Her makeup was slightly severe, the darkness of her eyes and the pink tint to her lips bringing out her dark hair.

When they moved onto Ginny she protested, claiming that she could do it herself. However, she soon found herself with an elaborate twist in her hair, which was piled up on top of her head, and they stuck with pale green eyeshadow and a pink lipstick.

Hermione's hair was tamed in perfect ringlets which fell just past her shoulders. Luna daintily pinned strategic parts back whilst Pansy outlined her eyes with black eyeliner and black mascara.

Luna's turn came next, and her hair ended up similar to Hermione's, just the straighter version. Luna settled with a basic lipgloss for her makeup and left it like that, her blonde hair and blue eyes already making her beautiful.

Pansy pinned her hair up deftly and settled on a sultry look, with smoky eyes and red lipstick. She pulled on a tight black mini-dress which made her look completely sexy.

"Wow, Pansy looks hot!" Ginny hooted.

"Thanks," Pansy blushed slightly.

"Out on the pull, are we?" she teased.

"Don't need to be," Pansy grinned. "I have my man."

"Blaise Zabini," Luna said, much to everyone's surprise. "It's obvious really."

Hermione looked at the rest of the group in bemusement as Luna put on a red dress which stopped just above her knees and had a halter neck that revealed a hint of cleavage.

"I've never seen you wear red before, Luna," Hermione commented.

"Red is for love and I've never been in love before," Luna answered, turning her baby blue eyes on Hermione.

"You're in love?" Millie asked.

"Yes, yes, I am," Luna sighed, before her eyes filled with tears.

"What's wrong?" Ginny rushed over to give her a hug.

"He doesn't love her back," Pansy said. "That must be it."

Luna nodded before a solitary tear slipped down her cheek.

"Is it Neville?" Hermione suddenly thought.

Instantly, Luna was crying. The girls surrounded her and engulfed her in group hug.

"Luna, darling, I positive he feels something for you too," Hermione broke the silence that had descended. "He talks about you all the time and smiles whenever your name is mentioned. It's quite endearing actually."

"Well, we'll discover that tonight, won't we?" Ginny said mischievously. "Truth or Dare, here we come!"

Everyone cheered and Luna smiled, the trace of tears gone now.

"You are aware it's twenty to nine, right?" Pansy pointed out.

Hermione, Millie and Ginny looked at one another in shock before rushing to put on their clothes. Hermione pick a cute white blouse with a short black skirt that flared out – reminiscent of the sixties, Ginny had a pair of white short-shorts with a fitted green strappy top which flashed a lot and Millie had a beautiful white wrap around dress that came to half way down her thighs.

They quickly took it in turns in front of the mirror to see what they looked like and once everyone had approved each other they exited the room and set the music going, blaring out some dance tunes whilst they helped themselves to the drinks on the table. The boys arrived several minutes later, Draco, Harry, Blaise, Teddy and Neville all coming in the portrait at once. They all stopped dead at the sight of the girls all dressed up.

"Hello, boys, glad you could join us," Pansy said, suppressing a laugh.

"Glad you could join us," Blaise snorted before grabbing hold of her and bending her backwards as he kissed her.

"There's someone else coming tonight," Hermione said, causing everyone to stare at her. "Come in!"

The portrait opened to reveal a very nervous Ron, who hesitantly climbed in and stood in front of them.

"Erm, hi," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I wanted to apologise to all of you about what I said. I was an ass and I'd like to put it behind us and start again. Hermione said you would consider it at least."

"Yeah, no problem, mate," Blaise said, easing the tension. "Now you've apologised we have no reason to hate you."

Ron visibly relaxed and took the beer that Harry offered him. The party began to get going then, especially after the first few drinks of alcohol were consumed.

"Did you plan for him to come?" Draco whispered to Hermione.

"Yeah, I did," Hermione replied. "He apologised to me and said he wanted to try again and I believed him."

"Why?"

"Because he told me something that he hasn't told anyone else," Hermione answered. "I wish I could tell you what it was but I really can't. It's his secret."

"Fair enough, love," Draco took her drink and put it down on the table. "May I have this dance?"

"You may," Hermione took his proffered hand and followed him out into the dance space.

An hour later there were discarded shoes everywhere as the girls had all kicked off their heels once they became uncomfortable.

"Truth or Dare!" Ginny shouted.

There were cheers all round as everyone settled themselves in the middle of the floor.

"Guys, I did put a table up for this sort of thing," Hermione said to deaf ears.

Upon realising that they weren't listening to her she sat down, completing the circle. There was an empty beer bottle in the centre and Ginny took control, spinning it the first time. It landed on Harry.

"Oh," Ginny looked puzzled. "Truth or Dare?"

"Erm, truth," Harry said, to many groans.

"Who did you lose your virginity to?" Pansy said.

Hermione instantly went bright red as did Harry.

"Hermione," he muttered.

"Seriously?" Everyone bar Ginny was shocked by this.

"You slept with Scarhead?" Draco exclaimed.

"Oi, mister, watch it!" Hermione said. "And yes, I did, it was a long time ago and a one time thing so yeah. It's over and done with and will never happen again."

"I thought you were a virgin," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear once the game had resumed.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Hermione laughed.

"I don't know," Draco said helplessly. As he thought back he realised that she had never seemed shy like a virgin and had been quite talented when she was giving him a handjob. "Sorry, babe."

"It's okay," she squeezed his hand.

The bottle landed on Hermione.

"Truth."

"Who else have you slept with?" Millie chimed.

"What is with those questions?" Hermione sighed. "The only people I have had sex with are Harry and Ron. Not at the same time though!"

Draco was even more astonished.

Finally the girls got what they had been waiting for – the bottle landed on Neville.

"I dare you to kiss Luna," Ginny declared once he had said dare.

Luna blushed brilliantly and Neville visibly gulped as he faced the girl sat next to him. She had her head lowered in embarrassment, but he gently hooked her chin with his hand and pulled up her head, looking in her eyes before leaning in and closing his eyes. The kiss was soft and gentle, and in that second everyone was convinced that he loved her.

"Wow," the sigh escaped Luna's lips.

She opened her eyes and saw him staring back at her, his eyes filled with adoration but also fear.

Harry coughed, disrupting the moment much to a disapproving look from Ginny. He span the bottle, and it landed on Ron.

"Dare," Ron quickly declared.

"I dare you to kiss….Harry," Pansy said.

"Oh, you bitch," Harry gave her evils as Ron shrugged his shoulders, leant over and pecked Harry on the lips.

Hermione stifled a laugh before getting up and topping up everyone's glasses. By this point, everyone was slowly getting more and more drunk.

The bottle landed on Ginny and Blaise cheekily declared that for her dare she would have to make-out with Hermione.

"Ergh, juvenile," Pansy shuddered.

"But you love it," Blaise pulled her close and nuzzled her neck.

"Meh, it's not as if we've never done it before, isn't that right, Gin?" Hermione said.

They winked at each other and Ginny stood up, standing in front of Hermione as they leant in together and touched their lips, before throwing themselves in it. Hermione let Ginny gain control of her mouth and Ginny's tongue massaging hers was familiar, as they had done it quite a few times before. Hermione's hand slowly slid down to Ginny's breast, where she fondled it through her clothes. As Ginny broke off with a groan Hermione began to kiss her neck. After a minute or so Hermione kissed a path back up to Ginny's lips and kissed her chastely, before pulling apart and sitting back in her seat.

Blaise, Draco, Harry and Teddy were staring with their mouths open whilst Pansy cheered loudly. Hermione noticed with a dash of pleasure that Neville was unaffected. Although he had watched it, he had spent his time glancing at Luna.

"I never?" Harry suggested.

Hermione accioed the shot glasses and several bottles of vodka. Once she had poured them out the game began.

"I have never had sex," Ron said. Everyone bar him and Luna drunk theirs.

"It's supposed to be saved for someone special," Luna said.

Hermione watched Neville's hand snaked down and take hold of Luna's small, delicate hand. She smiled brightly at the two of the them.

"I never had a gay or lesbian dream," Draco announced.

Ron, Teddy, Pansy, Ginny and Hermione drunk their shots.

"It's natural," Hermione said. "I've had a lesbian dream about Ginny, Pansy and Lavender Brown."

"Hermione all the way, baby!" Ginny announced, much to Harry's surprise.

"I never had a crush on a teacher at Hogwarts."

Again, Hermione drank, as did Luna.

"Sorry to say this, but Severus Snape is pretty hot," Hermione winced at the onslaught of horror.

"I'm with Hermione," Luna broke up the various 'ews' and 'yucks' that were floating around. "It's his voice."

"Okay, moving on!" Draco quickly said. "I never experimented with someone of the same sex."

Hermione, Ginny, Pansy and Teddy downed their shots.

"I am bisexual," Teddy said, shrugging his shoulders. Hermione saw Ron's face light up at that.

"I never had a fuck buddy," Blaise said wickedly.

He drunk his, as did Hermione, Ron and Ginny.

"Please don't tell me that you and Ron were fuck buddies," Draco groaned and put his head in his hands.

"What's the big deal, Draco, it's not as if you're going out with her!" Harry exclaimed, to a room of silence.

"Actually, I am," Draco said.

The room was still. Only Blaise and Ginny had known so it was a massive shock to everyone, especially when Pansy noticed the choker.

"You two are bonded!"

"I know, I know, it happened, it's a long story, it wasn't supposed to happen but it did and we're dealing with it," Draco said.

"You're pledged to him?" Harry looked confused.

"Yeah but don't worry, Harry, it's all fine," Hermione soothed.

"I think it's sweet," Millie piped up. "They can do what they want. If couples want to get married why shouldn't they?"

"Isn't it a bit soon?" Harry was still struggling with the concept.

"As I said, Harry, it wasn't supposed to happen," Draco tried to explain.

"It's no big deal, Harry, besides they're great together," Ginny took his hand. "Come on; let's go back to playing the game, yeah?"

"Okay," Harry was still bemused but decided to go along with what his girlfriend was saying.

"I never fancied someone in this room," Ginny declared and drank her shot, along with everyone else apart from Luna and Neville.

"But guys," Ginny waved her finger between them so quickly that it became a blur.

"I never fancied her," Neville said. "I only ever loved her."

"Same," Luna smiled.

"So are you guys officially an item then?" Millie asked.

"Yes, we are," Neville kissed the tip of Luna's nose and she pawed it afterwards, a big smile on her face.

"You guys are so cute!" Pansy squealed. "I love you two already."

"I never had sex in the back of a car!" Blaise declared, watching in satisfaction as Draco, Teddy and Millie drunk theirs.

"I never had sex with a blonde," Draco retorted.

Blaise's smile was wiped off his face as he downed his glass.

"Anyway, who does who fancy?" Pansy looked around. "Okay, me and Blaise is each other, same with Harry and Ginny and Hermione and Draco."

"I fancied Harry," Millie shrugged her shoulders. "Like year 5?"

Pansy rounded on Teddy and Ron and narrowed her eyes.

"Fess up, Tedster," Pansy said.

"Ginny and Ron," he said easily.

Ron started next to him and began fiddling with his collar.

"And yours must have been Hermione?"

"No, actually, mine is Teddy."

"What?" The room was shocked.

"This seems to be a night for revelations," Hermione mused.

"Is this the huge secret that you couldn't tell me?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"Yeah, I'm gay everyone," Ron announced, standing up. "I am gay, so deal with it. I can't stand hiding it anymore, and I'm going to start telling everyone."

"Good on you," Ginny stood up and hugged him. "That's why you were acting like a prat all the time then!"

"If you're gay then why were you fuck buddies with Hermione?" Blaise asked.

"Erm, I don't know, something to do?" Ron said.

"Fucking boys," Pansy muttered underneath her breath.

"Wait, did you say that yours is me?" Teddy said. "You do fancy me now?"

"Yeah," Ron admitted, deciding that it was easier to just be honest.

"Awesome, do you want to go out on a date?" Teddy asked.

"But I thought you loved Ginny?" Draco exclaimed.

"Loved, past tense," Teddy said. "I walked in on her and Harry having sex in the broom closet and it kinda put me off knowing that his knob has been in that."

"Ew, gross," Draco screwed up his nose. "Thanks for that image, you douche."

"That's alright," he grinned. "Now, as much as this party has been fun, I'm heading back to Slytherin now."

"Me too," Millie stood up.

"Yep, same," Blaise hauled Pansy to her feet.

One by one the group dispersed.

Neville offered to walk Luna to her tower and she accepted happily.

"Enjoy your tidying!" Hermione said to Draco once everyone had gone.

"I am not touching a thing until tomorrow," Draco sighed.

"Anyway, I'm going to bed now, hun," Hermione kissed him. "Alone though because I'll probably end up with my head down the toilet at some point tonight with all the alcohol that I've drunk."

"I don't know, you might be fine," Draco pursed his lips. "Do I have to sleep alone?"

He looked so lost and innocent that Hermione caved in.

"Okay, fine, but no puking in my bed," Hermione led the way to bed.

She was so wasted that all she managed to do strip down to her underwear and fall into bed. Draco did the same on the other side and before they even knew it they were out like a light.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter done <strong>

**Once more, let us know how we're getting on and what you think of some of the revelations xD**

**Toodles**

**xoxox**


	7. Neville and Luna

Okay guys, this is taking a short break from the story to bring you a one-shot from us about Neville and Luna which leads on exactly from the last chapter. For all you Dramione fans out there, we get back to that next chapter, we promise!

* * *

><p><strong>Neville And Luna<strong>

Neville slowly walked down the corridor with the beautiful Luna by his side, walking slowly so he could extend the amount of time he had with her. It felt almost impossible to breathe, now knowing that the girl he had loved since his fifth year was now his.

She suddenly stopped in the middle of a corridor.

"Are you okay?" Neville asked.

"Yes, Neville, I'm fine," for the first time ever she looked a little nervous. "Would you like to spend the night with me?"

"What, as in…"

"Yes."

Neville swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes.

"Luna, I would love to," he finally answered. "Isn't it a little soon?"

"No, Neville, I want to."

She smiled at him and quickly kissed him before pacing back and forth up the corridor. On her third lap a door appeared, and she opened it up and went in. Neville followed her to find a simple room, sparsely decorated with a large, comfortable bed situated against one wall.

"Luna, didn't you want it romantic? It's a bit Spartan," Neville commented.

"As long as I'm with you it will be romantic," She replied, causing a smile to creep across Neville's face.

For a moment they stood there awkwardly, not entirely sure how to approach the situation. Neville's heart was beating fast and he had to fight to control his breathing, to make it seem as if he wasn't scared or nervous. To be perfectly honest he was both of these, not only was he about to sleep with the love of his life, but he was also about to deflower her. The only person he'd ever had sex with was Lavender Brown who was definitely not a virgin, and that was just because of the experience. However that experience was doing nothing for him now – he'd expected her to have already lost it and he knew exactly how to approach her if she had. After all, she was so beautiful that it just seemed logical.

But then again nothing was logical. Why would she love him if anything was truly logical?

"I'll make the first step then," Luna said, moving to take off her dress.

"No, no, wait," Neville stopped her. "I want to undress you."

His hands were shaking as he undid the zip at the back of her dress and untied the halterneck. Her dress fell off her onto the floor, and he picked it up when she stepped out of it and laid it out on the floor so it wouldn't wrinkle. He took a deep breath and looked at her in her underwear. She was wearing red underwear to match her dress and although it was simple, Neville thought she was the sexiest person he had ever seen.

"You are stunning," he touched her arm.

She blushed, looking away for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"Kiss me?" She asked.

Neville almost groaned at her words and he leaned down, closing the distance between their lips until he captured them softly. Suddenly Luna put everything she had into the kiss, making it much more passionate as she pressed herself up against Neville, who marvelled at just how perfectly she fit against him.

"I…um…sorry," she stuttered as she stepped away.

"Luna, don't worry, please, it was perfect," Neville soothed the agitated girl. "Now why don't you calm down a little? I'm not going to leave you or anything."

"I've never done anything," she whispered, her cheeks red. "Anything at all. I'm worried I'm going to mess up."

"Luna, I highly doubt you'll mess up, and even if you do it won't matter because I love you and I'll never leave you for a making a mistake like that," Neville pulled her close and hugged her.

"Neville, I love you too," the words fell from her lips for the first time.

Neville felt his heart lift and flutter. Her hands lifted up and undid his shirt, slipping it off to reveal his slightly toned torso underneath. One of her hands grazed down his stomach and reached his trousers, which she fumbled with for a few seconds before managing to get it undone. He helped her along by stepping out of his trousers, and at her urge he removed his boxers as well, feeling self-conscious as she stared at him.

"Neville, you are beautiful," Luna said, as she looked him up and down.

"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered to her.

It was his turn now, and he walked around her and unfastened her bra, letting it fall to the floor. He didn't look at them at all, instead falling to his knees so he could ease her underwear down her legs.

Luna was naked. That thought whizzed through him and he instantly came to attention. It was the situation that he had been dreaming about for three years, it was the fantasy that brought him to an unsatisfactory completion three times a week and now it was coming true.

"Neville, are you okay?" Luna knelt down in front of him, allowing him to see her body for the first time.

It was exactly how he pictured it. Her breasts were medium sized and pert and her stomach was smooth and flat. The rest of her body was creamy white and, in Neville's opinion, perfect.

"Luna, you are so so beautiful," he said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I have dreamed about this day for years, Neville Longbottom, of course I'm sure," Luna sounded a little annoyed at his doubts.

"It will hurt a bit," Neville warned, then bit his lip.

"I'm not silly, Neville," Luna said, back to her dreamy voice. "I know it will."

"Can I try something?" he asked. "It's not sex; I just want to try something."

"Of course," she smiled at him.

He took her hand and led her over to the bed. He laid down on his back, and then told Luna to lie on top of him, her back to his chest and her legs up so her feet were on the bed.

"Just relax," Neville whispered in her ear. "Close your eyes and feel."

He brought his shaking hands up and laid them on her stomach. He felt her relax against him, her head lolled back so it was resting on the bed. Taking a deep breath he began to run his hands lightly over her body, taking in every part of it, moving ever so slowly. When he finally had enough courage to, he moved his hands upwards and cupped her breasts.

When there was no resistance at all from Luna, he began to massage them slightly, finding himself relaxing more and more even though he was getting more and more turned on. She sighed, and he kept one hand on her breast and then other hand trailed down to the curls between her legs.

Luna opened her legs slightly to allow him access, and he found her lips, spreading them open so he could reach the little nub concealed within. He began to move his finger back and forth over it, picking up speed as Luna began to moan and move on top of him.

Finally she cried out in pleasure, her back arching off him as she experienced the greatest pleasure she had ever had.

"Have you ever orgasmed before?" Neville asked.

"No," she said breathlessly. "I've tried but nothing's worked before."

Neville felt a sense of pride in himself at being able to make his girlfriend orgasm for the first time.

Luna moved off him and laid next to him, placing her hand on his chest and began to make slow circles downwards. Neville held his breath as she reached him and when she touched him he thought he was in heaven.

"Let me know if I do something wrong," Luna said, as she began to move her hand up and down his shaft.

Neville closed his hand over hers and guided her on how he liked it. Once she had learnt it he removed his hand and enjoyed the feeling. He started when her mouth closed over him.

"Sorry," Luna backed off.

"No, don't be sorry, I just didn't expect you to do that for me," Neville said.

"Well, weren't you going to do the same for me?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But that's beside the point."

"I think not," Luna took him in her mouth again and slowly began to move up and down, sucking slightly as she did so.

"Luna, stop," he cried out.

She stopped instantly and looked at him, her eyes awash with confusion and humiliation.

"You weren't doing anything wrong," Neville reassured her. "It's just if you carried on I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from finishing then."

She smiled cutely at him and he kissed her, ignoring the taste of him in her mouth as he slowly moved them so that he was on top of her. Although he moved his lips from hers he never stopped kissing her, placing kisses along her chin line until he reached her neck where he stopped for a moment to nip at a sensitive spot. He continued downwards and paused over her nipple.

"Go on then," Luna sounded a little breathless.

At her command his lips closed over her nipple and he laved attention onto it, kissing it, sucking it and lightly nipping it, alternating his ministrations according to her moans. He switched to the other nipple and applied equal amount of attention to that one and by the time he had kissed down her stomach to her apex she was already wet for him.

"Oh, Luna," Neville touched her lightly and felt the wetness. "You're amazing."

She blushed and it was obvious to him that she had to fight off the natural urge to close her legs as he looked at her. He opened up her legs a little more and licked up her slit, hearing her gasp out in pleasure. He took her clit into his mouth and sucked it, running his tongue over it at the same time. As she came again, he took the moment to slid a finger into her, hoping that her pleasure would be enough to dispel the uncomfortableness.

"You're soaking wet," he said, slightly astonished.

"I know, but then again you're really hard," Luna answered, with a wink.

"Oh really?" Neville slid another finger up inside her and she quietened down, lost in the moment.

"Neville, I need you now," Luna pleaded with him.

"Are you sure?" Neville asked as he positioned himself above her. "This is your last chance to say no, I won't mind."

"No, I'm sure," she said. "I love you and I am ready for you."

Neville pushed himself into her wetness, feeling her stretch to accommodate him. When he reached her barrier he continued, choosing not to stop until he was sheathed within her completely. He looked into her eyes and saw a single tear slide down her face and her nose was scrunched slightly with the pain.

"Luna, I'm so sorry," Neville said agonisingly.

He instantly hated himself for causing her the pain as he wiped away the tear. He felt his own eyes tear up as he felt heartache at seeing her hurt.

"Neville, love, it's okay," Luna lifted herself up slightly and hugged him tightly. "It's to be expected. There was no way for it not to hurt."

"Luna, I caused you pain," Neville cried.

"Neville, enough," Luna's tone was severe. "Man up and start moving or get out of me."

He stared at her in shock and she looked back with determination.

"I want to feel you, and I want you to enjoy yourself," Luna said. "I want this, and I want you, so please, it's stopped hurting and I'd like to feel some pleasure right about now."

Neville kissed her passionately, holding himself up with one hand as he began to thrust in and out, taking it gently at first until she wrapped her legs around him and began to control his thrusts so he went harder, deeper and faster.

He couldn't stop kissing her. She was his very own slice of heaven, fallen out of the skies and, for some unknown reason, had fallen in love with him. In that moment all he was aware of was her body pressed against him, her holding him tightly and her incredible warmth that he slid into repeatedly.

Her breaths came quicker and quicker and he could feel her beginning to clutch at him. He realised that she was almost afraid to give into the feeling – it was completely new to her.

"Luna, come for me," he whispered in her ear.

In that instant she came, crying out his name as she clutched onto him, her nails digging into his arms slightly as she tightened around him, the waves sending him over the edge as well.

His arms almost gave out on him but he managed to hold himself up, dropping his head so that their foreheads touched.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Luna panted, still coming down from her high.

"I'm going to get out now, okay?" Neville said.

He slowly eased himself out then quickly cleaned them up with a spell.

"Wait, Luna, what about contraception?" Neville asked stricken.

"All covered," she replied. "Muggle contraption called the implant? It's more effective that any wizarding contraception. Ginny recommended it to me after Hermione said about it to her. We all have it. It's a little tube that goes in your arm. You can feel it if you want?"

He reached over and touched the point she mentioned, feeling the small tube underneath.

"That feels horrible!" He exclaimed, shuddering slightly.

"Does it?" Luna said mildly. "It doesn't to me. I must be used to it."

Neville climbed underneath the sheets and held his arms out for Luna to join him. She quickly did, cuddling up to him as she yawned.

"It makes you sleepy," she said quietly.

"It does," Neville agreed.

She yawned again before her eyes fluttered close and within five minutes she was asleep. Neville watched her sleep, marvelling at how perfect she truly was.

_Everything I ever dreamed of is coming true….I love her so much that I want to marry her and have children with her….please don't let this dream end…_

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><p>Awww, they are so cute :) I love Neville and Luna (Becky).<p>

Anyway, little one-shot linked in with the story, let us know what you think :)

toodles

xoxox


	8. Chapter 7

We finally get an appearance from our favourite potions master now ^^ and the only reason we are uploading this is because of **Finch98 **so we're going to dedicate this chapter to you

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Hermione woke up the next morning to someone banging loudly on the door.

"Oi, get the fuck up!" Ginny shouted.

Hermione stumbled out of bed and opened the door, staring through screwed up eyes at the redhead.

"What is with you and disturbing me?" Hermione moaned.

"Draco let me in," Ginny said by way of an explanation. "Look, I have a problem."

"Lower your voice, will you?" Hermione pleaded as she walked into her bathroom and routed through her bathroom cabinet for a hangover cure. She located the purple potion and downed it, feeling the reliefs instantly. She straightened up and headed back into the bedroom, sitting on the bed as Ginny paced back and forth in front of her.

"Am I unattractive?" Ginny asked, stopping in front of her.

"No, not at all, you're stunning," Hermione said surprised. "Why?"

"Harry will not touch me," she growled. "Every time I try anything with him he just knocks me back. It's really starting to hurt. It feels as if he doesn't find me attractive any more. Do you think that he does?"

"Ginny, he wouldn't be going out with you if he didn't like you," Hermione said.

"But maybe he's only going out with me for duty," Ginny sat down next to her. "Maybe he feels like he has to because that's what expected of him."

"You know what? We'll test whether or not he likes you and finds you attractive," Hermione mused for a second before she had the answer. "Do you mind if we bring Pansy into this? I have had an idea for a song to perform along with the dance and it works better with three girls."

"That's fine," Ginny seemed excited.

"It's quite a sexy dance, even if the song isn't that brilliant," Hermione said as she wrote out a message to Pansy. Hermione poked her head out the bedroom door and called out to Draco.

"Love, Pansy's coming up shortly. Can you let her in and tell her in come in here? Thank you!"

She came back in and smiled at Ginny.

"It's a Sunday, right?" Hermione said. "We can have this sorted by tomorrow to perform it. Then we'll find out if he fancies you or not, okay? If he's sane he won't be able to resist you."

Pansy walked in the room at that moment and once the door was closed they began to fill her in. Once they'd finished she clapped her hands together.

"You had me at Harry," she said, before realising exactly what she had said. "Not that I fancy him or anything, I promise. I love Blaise, remember, and I would never do that to a friend anyway even if I did find him attractive which I don't…."

"Pansy, shush," Hermione stopped her rant. "I have the dance and the song and a stereo to play the song on so if you're ready we can start learning it now?"

"Well, we have nothing to do today," Pansy said. "Homework's done and everything."

"Excellent," Hermione instructed the girls to kick off their shoes. "Now listen to the song."

They listened to it over and over until the two girls knew the words to the song. Thankfully, the song was relatively simple so that it was easy to learn the words.

Unfortunately for Pansy and Ginny, Hermione spent the entire afternoon and much of the evening making sure that they knew the dance perfectly, before sticking them in heels to practise, which proved fairly difficult at first.

"What are we going to wear?" Pansy asked.

"Well, we can't wear a skirt unless we want to flash our knickers to the word, so black hotpants? And I reckon that Ginny should wear a green tank top and we should wear white so that it's obvious that we're the support. Oh, and I believe we all have these boots?"

Hermione pulled out a pair of heeled biker boots that laced all the way up to the knees.

"Oh awesome," Ginny grinned. "I am so looking forward to this."

"We should practise in the Great Hall tomorrow and Pansy you should sit with us," Hermione said. "And we need to get ready before lunch and put our school cloaks on over so that we can hide our outfits until the opportune moment."

"What about Ron?" Ginny said suddenly. "He'll go ballistic."

"That's easy enough," Hermione called Draco in. "Can you ask Teddy to take Ron off somewhere tomorrow lunchtime and make sure that he doesn't come into the Great Hall for us please?"

"No problem," Draco kissed her on the cheek.

"Right, so we're all set!" Hermione smiled.

"I can't wait until tomorrow!" Ginny cheered.

* * *

><p>"This is going to go horribly wrong," Ginny looked pale.<p>

"Ginny, we are in the Great Hall and our song is about to start so you need to sort yourself out!" Hermione hissed at her.

Pansy was across from them and she looked at Ginny anxiously before looking down the table at where Harry was sat with Draco, Blaise and Neville.

"Are you going to be able to do this?" Hermione asked. "Answer quickly."

"Yes, I'll do it," Ginny said. "I'm just nervous because my entire relationship rests on Harry's reaction to this."

"I know but it's fine," Pansy patted her hand. "Oh, get ready, Filch is about to start the music."

Filch totted over to the stereo and put the disc into it. The girls reached for the fastenings on the cloaks and quickly cast slightly amplification charms on their voices so they wouldn't need to carry wizziphones (the wizarding equivalent of microphones) and when the music started they took off their cloaks and climbed on top of the table, the food and drinks automatically whizzing to the side of the table to allow them room in the middle. Ginny stood in between the other two girls who had their backs to her, posing rather sexily.

Ginny opened her mouth and the words came floating out.

_If you wanna get with me,_

_There's some things you've gotta know_

_I like my beats fast and my bass down low_

_Bass down low_

_Bass down low_

_I like my beats fast and my bass down low_

Hermione and Pansy started dancing as she continued to sing.

_It's like 1,2,3, eff it_

_I'm about to take this drink and just stuff it_

_Fish tank this thing with four more shots of patron and give a eff about going home_

Ginny joined in with the dancing as Hermione took the next section, standing between them as they all popped their bums in time with the beats.

_Straight buzzing, robotussen_

_Wanna get your mitts in my oven?_

_Wanna get a lick of this loving?_

_Get a lick of this loving?_

Pansy took the next part as they began to move down the table, Hermione going closer to the High Table and Ginny moving in front of Harry as they spread themselves down the table.

_Yeah, I like it loud_

_And I'll make you shout_

_You'll do that Black Eyed Peas_

_You know that boom boom pow?_

Ginny dipped down in front of Harry and sang to him directly.

_If you wanna get with me, there's some things you gotta know_

_I like my beats fast and my bass down low_

As she continued on with the song the girls stepped down off the table with some help from some of the boys and walked up to the High Table, Hermione in front of Snape, Ginny in front of Dumbledore and Pansy ended up in front of Hagrid, all facing the crowd.

Ginny perched herself on the High Table, picked up the goblet and sang:

_It's like 1, 2, 3, okay,_

_Can I get a little goose in my oj?_

_Ev'ry day feel like my birthday and we sip champagne when we thirsty. _

As Hermione took over once again, Draco switched his attention from Harry, who had been staring at Ginny with his mouth open the whole time, to Snape, who was looking directly at Hermione's ass.

There was no mistaking it, he was watching her dancing intently, with a hungry look in his eyes. Draco pursed his lips before making his mind up to speak to him about it soon. After all, Snape usually got what he wanted eventually, and Draco was damn sure he wasn't going to this time.

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><p>The first chance Draco got to talk to Snape was that evening, when he slipped out of the headquarters after Ginny had barged in (AGAIN! She was beginning to treat it like it was her home) to inform everyone that Harry had just shagged her senseless. He made his way down to the dungeons, aware of the sudden drop in temperature and felt glad he had seen sense to pull on his cloak before leaving. He found the entrance to Snape's personal quarters, having been there before, and knocked loudly, much to the indignantly of the jester in the portrait who instantly kicked up a fuss about having his nose thumped.<p>

"I'll thump you, you, you scoundrel!" He yelled as the portrait swung open.

"Shut up, harlequin!" Snape snapped and instantly the jester quietened. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk," Draco answered, and entered the room when Snape stepped aside. Snape's quarters had always astounded him, for everyone expected the lodgings to reflect the personality of the man, and they did, but not the personality that everyone expected.

The room was light and airy, with a massive bookcase against one corner, a lovely cream sofa and chairs set along with several curious antiques that he had collected over the years. It was homely and comfortable, and the posters on the walls were of satire. Snape had put up various pieces of parchment with significant quotes on them which he was constantly adding to as he found more.

"'History will be kind to me for I intend to write it,'" Draco quoted. "Winston Churchill."

"Good one," Snape summoned some parchment and a quill and wrote the quote down before sticking it up on the wall. "Now, what I can help with?"

Snape sat down on one of the chairs and instantly his persona became more light and cheerful, much more like his true self rather than the one he hides behind.

"It's about Hermione," Draco said.

"What about her?" Snape asked nonchalantly, his mood becoming more closed.

"Do you like her?"

"She's an insufferable, know-it-all, bossy chit," Snape answered. "What do you think?"

"I think you're obsessed with her," Draco said, sitting down on the other chair. "I think that over the years you've watched her grow into a beautiful, sexy, sensual young woman and when you saw her dance it finally set off what you've been trying to deny yourself for a long time."

"Maybe it's true," Snape shrugged his shoulders. "So what?"

"I want you to back off," Draco said, his voice low. "I want you to leave her alone because I know you will try and steal her away from me."

"Draco, you're making me out to be something I'm not," Snape narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I have an interest in her, but that doesn't mean that I would do anything."

"She's already attracted to you, to your voice," Draco said. "I don't want it to lead to anything more, okay? I don't want her to become enslaved to you."

"Enslaved?" Snape laughed. "I would never do that. I'm not evil."

"You like controlling people," Draco averted his eyes from Snape's. "You love it. It gets you off."

"Does she seem like the type to obey?" Snape asked.

"I don't know," Draco sighed. "She does and she doesn't. I mean, she's quite bossy but I reckon that she would make the perfect subordinate but I don't want her introduced to that lifestyle."

"Draco, you were my biggest failure," Snape said bitterly, walking over to him. "I trained you and trained you and I was going to keep you on myself but you walked away from it all."

"I couldn't stand being controlled anymore," Draco said, fully aware of his presence next to him. "My whole life I was controlled and I had had enough."

"I understand," Snape knelt down beside him. "I do miss you sometimes though, you were perfect."

"Hardly," Draco scoffed. "I was a terrible sub."

"Draco, you were my sub and I adored you," Snape said, running his hand down Draco's cheek. "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Draco admitted, leaning into his touch. "But I'm with Hermione now and I'm not going to leave her."

"You said that Hermione likes me and I like her," Snape said. "We all like one another, why don't we just…get together?"

"You mean like a threesome?" Draco looked disgusted

"Draco, I mean like you two will be in the actual relationship and I'll just be the extra person you come to for advice and, of course, sex," Snape said.

"But how the hell do I get her to agree to that?" Draco asked. "There is no way."

"Actually there is," Snape said. "Give me five minutes."

Snape disappeared out of the room and came back shortly with a flask containing a pale blue potion and handed it to him.

"Okay, there's four nights worth there," Snape said. "Put five drops into a cup of tea at night and give it to her to drink and she'll be craving both of us by the end of it."

"What does it do?" Draco asked. "It's not like a lust potion or something is it?"

"No, it's something that will give her sexual dreams about us two together," Snape replied. "I had the potion to create certain dreams so all I needed to do was add what I wanted her to dream. That way in five days' time she'll be so confused by it all because she'll be wanting both of us that it will be easy to persuade her to come round to it."

"Isn't that a little unfair on her?" Draco asked. "We're taking away her choice."

"Not at all," Snape said. "Just because she has the dreams doesn't necessarily mean that she'll want me in real life so she will act on her feelings, or lack thereof as the case may be, when we suggest our little idea."

"Okay, cool," Draco stood up at the same time as Snape.

There was a split second when it was obvious to both of them that they desperately wanted one another. Draco broke it by fighting off the urge and kissing Snape on the cheek.

"I hope it works because I'd like to be with you again," Draco said.

"I hope it works too," Snape lowered his voice and whispered in Draco's ear. "I want to take you from behind and fuck you like an animal. Do you remember what it was like to have me up your ass?"

"I have to go," Draco stammered as he backed away from the professor, his thoughts and feelings conflicted. He adored Hermione and wanted to be with her but the man who had been his sexual trainer, his master, for two years of his life still caused the shivers down his spine, still caused his penis to stand erect.

As Draco headed back up to the headquarters, his mind was awash with memories of his time spent with Snape.

_-flash back-_

_Draco looked up nervously at the man he had known his entire life, the man who had been his teacher in Potions for four years and his teacher in life for much longer. Snape stared down at him, conflict on his face._

"_Let me get this straight," Snape said. "You want me to be your master and train you in submission?"_

"_Yes," Draco's voice shook. "I am interested in the world of S&M and I wish for you to teach me it."_

"_Why don't you go to another Death Eater, Draco? Any one of them will be willing to take you on. After all, you are a good-looking boy and they adore inflicting pain," Snape said._

"_Severus, it's you I want to train me," Draco fell to his knees in front of him. "Please accept me. You don't have to keep me on afterwards, just please accept me."_

"_Why? Do you want me to tie you up, whip you, spank you and take you brutally from behind?" Snape's voice was seductive, sending shivers up and down Draco's spine._

"_Yes, please," Draco answered breathlessly, his mind whirring with the thoughts. "Please."_

"_I want you to kiss me," Snape said. "Kiss me how you think I would want to be kissed and then I'll decide."_

_Draco climbed to his feet and slammed his lips against Snape's, kissing him furiously as he poured all of his desire into it. When Snape began kissing him back he continued with the want but allowed Snape to take control of the kiss. _

_Snape broke it off finally, a little out of breath._

"_Fine, I'll accept you," He said. "Now there are certain rules I want to lay out. You will come here three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. You will be here at 8pm exactly. When you come in you will strip completely, place your collar on and assume the submissive's pose. You will not say a word to me until I address you and you will address me as 'sir' or 'master'. Is that understood?"_

"_Yes, sir," Draco's heart was thumping. _

"_You are dismissed," Snape said, turning away from him. _

_Draco hovered for a second, torn between staying for a while longer and obeying his master's orders. He wisely chose the latter, determined to come back on Tuesday and follow every order precisely._

_But first he had to find out what the submissive's pose was._

_-flashback forwards to Seventh Year-_

_Throughout the next two years, Snape had trained Draco to obey his slightest orders, turning him into a passable sub, even if Draco did frequently disobey him. However, sometimes Draco deliberately disobeyed his master just for the joys of the punishment. _

"_I can't take it anymore!" Draco burst into Snape's private quarters and interrupted the routine for the first time since Snape had taken him on. _

"_Draco, you are forgetting your ritual," Snape said briskly._

"_Fuck the ritual!" Draco cried. "I've fucking had enough of this. Severus, my training is complete and I want out."_

"_Why?" Snape stood up horrified. "Why do you want to leave me?"_

"_I don't want to be controlled anymore and I want to make my own choices," Draco ranted. "All my life I've been following orders and I can't do it anymore. I just can't. I want to be who I want to be, love who I want to love and do what I want to do. I can't do that when I'm your submissive."_

"_Draco, I bought your collar today," Snape said agonised. "I was going to offer it to you."_

"_Are you being serious?" Draco faltered. "You were actually going to take me on?"_

"_Yes, I was," Snape stood before Draco. "I was going to make you mine permanently."_

"_Oh, Severus," Draco's eyes were filled with tears. "I wish I could but I can't. I'm so sorry."_

_Draco turned and left, leaving a heartbroken Snape behind._

_-flashback ends-_

Draco rubbed his face and willed away the tears that still arose every time he remembered the horror and sadness in his first lover's eyes. When he got to the portrait he had managed to compose himself enough so he looked normal on the outside, even though he felt tormented on the inside.

He entered the living room to find Hermione reading a book as she stretched out on the sofa.

"Where did you go?" Hermione asked, her tone curious.

"I went to see Snape," he answered honestly.

"Head of House stuff?" She asked sympathetically.

"Something like that," Draco carefully avoided lying. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Yeah, I'd love one, actually," she beamed up at him.

"Okay, one tea coming up," he went into the kitchen and quickly made the teas. When he was positive that Hermione was too engaged in her beloved book that she wouldn't notice anything he was doing he added five drops to her tea, swirling it around until the blue tinge disappeared. He carried the two teas in, making sure to give her the tainted one and drunk his down.

"Thanks for the tea," Hermione said as she reached for it and began to drink it.

Draco's heart faltered when she stopped drinking and gave the cup a funny look before continuing to drink the tea until it was finished.

"I'll wash up, you get on to bed, it's getting late," Draco took the cups as Hermione made her way to her room.

Draco slowed his beating heart down and proceeded to get into Hermione's bed, his nervousness making him awake.

Hermione was fast asleep by time he got into bed, a side effect of the potion. When he saw her eyelids flutter and moans begin to escape her lips he finally closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep.

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><p><em>Hermione was in her bedroom, completely naked. It was the first thing she noticed as she climbed out of her bed, even before she noticed that she was not alone. Much to her surprise, Draco and Professor Snape were there, also naked. <em>

"_Why are you here?" She asked._

"_To fuck you," Draco answered. _

_Snape cut off her cry of outrage by walking up to her and kissing her fiercely, almost bending her over backwards with the force of it. As much as she was loath to admit it, it had caused a sharp peek of desire to form, and when he stepped back she begged for him to stay. _

_Instead he switched his attention to her boyfriend, and they kissed for a while, their hands exploring each other's bodies. By the time they were both focussed on her she was soaking wet, having been turned on by the little performance they had put on. _

_Draco laid down on the floor and Snape moved her over him, dropping her down to her knees so she could take him in her. As he entered her she cried out, it was impossible not to. As Draco began to fuck her, Snape pulled out his own erection and began to stroke it, watching her bounce up and down. Snape pulled a chair over and sat down by Draco's head, and Hermione leaned forward so she could take his penis in her mouth. _

_She had no times for thoughts, only feelings, as Draco began to hit that perfect spot with every thrust, and every time she moaned Snape jerked, the moan turning to vibrations around him. The pleasure built and built until she could take it no more and she came, his penis slipping out her mouth as she did. Draco came shortly afterwards, and Snape only tugged on his erection a few mores times before opening up Hermione's mouth and putting the tip in so he could come in her mouth._

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><p>Hermione awoke, her bedsheets soaked with sweat and her clitoris throbbing with desire. She was confused, to say the very least. She had had sex dreams about her potions professor before, but never had she had sex dreams that involved more than one other person. And it was Snape and Draco!<p>

She flung her head back on the pillow in irritation, before her finger desperately sought out her little nub which ached for release. She was granted satisfaction quickly, but that didn't shake the confusion from her mind.

What was going on?

0-0-0-0

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	9. Chapter 8

Okay, little note in here - we're disappointed in the amount of reviews we have. It's saddening to us because we've worked so hard on this :( please make us happy?

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

By the end of the four nights, Hermione was desperate and confused. Every time she saw Snape now she had to fight off the pool of desire that flooded her, causing some awkward situations in class. She couldn't talk to Draco about it, in fact, every time she was near him she blushed and couldn't say anything, not after some of the things she'd seen him do.

"Hermione, love, are you okay?" Draco asked her whilst she was flustered in the living room.

"Erm, I don't know," she said, hanging her head. "I'm so frustrated."

"About what?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"As in, sexually," Hermione avoided his gaze.

"Oh, I see," Draco was silent for a minute. "Well, you haven't done anything in a while, not since that night when we got together and that was over a month ago now."

"I know, but it's just so difficult!" She sighed. "I didn't want to rush us but now I keep having these dreams and it's horrible."

"What sort of dreams?" Draco asked, seemingly inquisitive despite already knowing.

"You're in them," She said. "You, me and Snape."

She whispered the last word but Draco heard it. He had to quickly wipe the smile of success off his face before she looked up to him.

"Why do I keep having them?" She cried.

"I don't know, love," Draco sighed. "Sex dreams are often a way of showing frustration and also it helps you to see who you want. Not necessarily who you like or love but who you want."

"But that means I want Snape," Hermione mused. "Actually I could see that happening. Sorry, Draco."

"It's okay," he replied. "I used to have recurring sex dreams about Ginny and, let's face it, could you ever see me liking her in that way?"

"No," Hermione giggled. "Not at all."

"It's quite normal, really," He said. "Just don't start having sex dreams about someone like Blaise, please!"

"Ergh, no," Hermione wrinkled her nose. "He's not attractive."

"You're joking, right?" Draco was shocked. "Every girl drools over him."

"Yeah, but the problem is that he's almost too good-looking," Hermione explained. "He's practically perfect and that's just not normal. It makes him unattractive in my books."

"You're odd, you know that," Draco said.

"Yeah I know," Hermione laughed.

"Still frustrated?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I am your boyfriend," Draco said.

Hermione looked at him for a minute wide-eyed before she literally jumped on him and started kissing him. He kissed back, enjoying the feeling of her lips on his, her hips rocking against his.

"Am I moving too fast?" She suddenly pulled back and looked nervous.

"No, not at all," Draco grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her down for another longer kiss.

During their kiss they managed to make their way into Draco's bedroom, stripping each other down completely as Draco ended up on top of Hermione on the bed. As he went to check and see if she was ready she pulled him down.

"I'm ready, now hurry up!" She demanded.

Draco obliged, placing his erection at her entrance and pressing forward, sheathing himself within her in one. He watched as her mouth fell open and her eyes flickered, the feeling of him filling her up hitting her. However, as he began to thrust, he became acutely aware of how good she felt. Never had he felt this before – a feeling of elation, satisfaction but also completion as he rocked with her, bringing them both higher and higher.

And she was moaning, her voice heavy with need and lust as she thrusted against him – god, she was perfect. Every other girl he had been with had been contented to just lay there and let him do all the work but she was clutching at his back and moving her hips against him, burying him deeper inside her.

Draco knew the instant that she came, for she called out his name in a gasp as she held him ever tighter, shaking with the feeling as she shuddered around him, creating that amazing, indescribable sensation as she tightened and released him rapidly. Her head fell back on the pillow as she rode those waves of pleasure, and Draco was aware that for the moment at least she had stopped thrusting against him, too caught up in the orgasm that she was unable to focus on such a task.

"Feel good?" Draco asked.

"Brilliant," she breathed. "Please don't stop."

"I have no intention of stopping," Draco answered, much to her obvious delight.

He slipped his arms underneath her legs, pinning them up so that her knees were bent up as he leant down and grabbed hold of her shoulders, thrusting harder and deeper than before, the new angle creating greater feeling for his loved one.

Within seconds she was screaming with pleasure, the position allowing for him to hit that spot perfectly with every thrust. Draco came quickly, burying himself within her as his hot seed flooded out of him.

Carefully he let her legs down and held her for a moment, still encased within her. Her shaking subsided after a while and she hugged him tightly, kissing him lightly on the lips.

He slowly removed himself, noting that there was a fleeting look of disappointment on Hermione's face as he did so. Clearly she had wished for him to remain there for a while longer, and he made a mental note to do that next time.

He reached for his wand and cleaned them up, removing the sweat from both of their bodies and all traces of their combined juices from them. When he laid back down she cuddled up against him.

"Draco, I've just realised that I do actually love you," Hermione said, her voice a little sleepy.

"Seriously?" Draco said disbelievingly, even as his heart skipped a beat.

"Absolutely," she yawned. "I love you, Draco Malfoy."

"And I love you, Hermione Granger," He replied, taking care to conceal his joy so as not to disturb her.

Within minutes they were both asleep, Hermione having a dreamless night for the first time in a while whilst Draco's dream contained little children with his slightly pointed features but Hermione's hair and her chocolate eyes.

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><p>Hermione awoke to a stream of light on her eyes. She blearily reached for her wand and magicked the curtains closed, shutting out the offending light. As the memories of the night before came flooding back, she smiled softly before reaching across the bed to find it empty and cold.<p>

Her eyes opened and the smile slid from her face as she realised that he was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze slid to the pillow next to hers and there was a red rose laying on it. She picked it up and saw the note underneath it.

It read:

_To my dearest Hermione,_

_I had to leave your side reluctantly this morning because news of a serious dispute between our beloved houses had reached us. I was supposed to wake you up but you looked so peaceful sleeping that I just had to leave you be. The rose is from the garden of Malfoy Manor and is a special breed of rose that my mother has cultured for many years. I've magicked it so the petals will never wilt and fade, just as my love for you will never wilt or fade._

_Wear it in your hair for me today, my love,_

_D._

She looked at the rose and gently touched one of the petals. It felt like silk under her touch.

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><p>"Why do you have a flower in your hair?" Ron asked as soon as she sat down for breakfast.<p>

"Because I wanted to wear it, Ronald," she sighed as she reached for the scrambled egg.

"I think it looks nice," Ginny piped up. Hermione flashed her a grateful smile before digging into her food, noting that although it was good it just couldn't compare to her lover's. Hermione had decided to put the flower above her right ear and felt rather self-conscious. She had taken extra care with her hair this morning, taming it into painstakingly perfect ringlets, just so the rose would look right.

"Snape's not going to like that," Harry commented.

"Snape can go fuck himself," Hermione said savagely, causing the people in the immediate vicinity to choke on their food and drink.

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Hermione?" Ron asked, his face startled.

"Honestly, Ronald, grow up," she said crossly, standing up and heading to the dungeons for double potions.

After a moment of stunned silence and during which several bewildered glances were passed, the two boys and Ginny stood up to follow her to their lesson.

They were seated in the dungeons when Snape walked in. The small muttering died away instantly. His traditional black cloak billowed behind him as he reached the front of the class and turned round, his face having his trademark scowl on it.

His gaze covered the class and when he settled on Hermione his face darkened even further. She seemed to shrink under his gaze. He knew where that flower had come from – often had Narcissa shown him her prized rose bushes with the unique red colour underlying with a tinge of yellow. As a result of this, he knew exactly who had given her that rose.

"Take that rose out of your hair," he said quietly, trying to control his temper.

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"Take that damn thing out of your hair, Granger!" He shouted.

He watched as her eyes filled with unshed tears and he grew more furious at the pang of guilt that shot through him.

"No," she said.

There was a collective gasp from the class, and the silence that followed was somehow deafening.

Hermione saw his eyes flashed and felt terror sweep through her.

"What did you say?" He asked.

"I said no," she stood up, her hands on her desk as her stance screamed defiance. "With all due respect, sir, there is no rule that prevents me from wearing this in my hair, and, believe me, I would know."

"Detention," he snarled, enjoying the look of horror which crossed her face. "I suggest you take that rose out before it becomes a month's worth."

With shaking hands Hermione removed the rose from her hair and placed it carefully in her bag. She sat down at her desk and focussed her gaze on the wood of the desk.

All throughout the lesson Hermione deftly made her potion, turning it in at the end of the lesson, all without looking up.

"Don't forget your detention, Miss Granger," he said coolly.

"Oh, I won't sir," and as her eyes met his he was takenaback by the pure anger lurking within. He jerked his head as a dismissal and he berated himself when his line of view slid down to her behind, which was covered (unfortunately) by her robe.

"Mr Malfoy," Snape drawled, knowing that they were alone. "I presume our plan is continuing?"

"Of course, sir," Draco replied.

"Good."

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><p>At seven o'clock that evening, Hermione entered the potions classroom only to find it empty. She glanced around and then looked at the note which had informed her that her detention was at seven.<p>

"Don't worry, your detention is now," she heard the familiar voice of her teacher. "But not here. If you would follow me?"

As Hermione was led through the door at the back of the classroom, she contemplated the fact that he had actually been relatively polite to her. The Head of Slytherin, who was infamous for his persecution of his rival house, Gryffindor, had posed something as a question, rather than a demand.

Hermione found herself in his study. Realising quickly that she was probably the only Gryffindor student to have ever seen any part of his private quarters (if not the only student ever) she took the opportunity to see into Snape's mind, eagerly taking in what was there. To her immense surprise, the furniture was light and airy, which directly opposed his rather dark and morbid personality and also, to her amusement, the walls were covered in parchment which contained quotes from muggles and wizarding folk alike. In fact, she was so caught up in this little revelation that it took her a while to notice that there was someone else in the room.

"Draco?" She was startled to see him sitting there so casually.

"Hey, love," he smiled at her. "Sit down, I want to talk to you."

She cast a nervous glance at Snape before sitting down in the chair by Draco. Snape sat opposite her.

"What's this about?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I want you to agree to a threesome," Draco said calmly.

"Er, what?" Hermione's mouth dropped open. "With who?"

"Me, Miss Granger."

Hermione jumped out of her seat and stood between the two men, her eyes flashing and her breasts heaving.

"Have you actually lost it?" She cried.

"No, I'm being perfectly serious."

"What makes you think I'd agree to this?"

"Because you have sex dreams about it," Draco said.

A blush crept over Hermione's face as she realised that Draco must have looked in her mind as she thought about it or even dreamed about it.

"So it is true," Snape's voice had a hint of amusement in it.

"Dreaming about it and wanting to do it are two different things!" Hermione replied hotly.

She heard a growl of annoyance from Snape's throat and before she knew it he had stood up, closed the gap between then and had crushed his lips on hers, the kiss deep and urgent. His hand pulled her flush against him and she moaned, allowing his to deepen the kiss further by slipping his tongue in her mouth. When he detached himself she almost cried out at the loss of contact.

"Draco?" She suddenly remembered him and turn to see him still sat down, his trousers tented with his obvious arousal.

"You like it?" Hermione asked bemused.

"Clearly," Draco grinned. "Do you want to carry on?"

"Isn't it wrong?"

"Hermione, threesomes aren't unusual and we want to make this a usual thing," Draco sighed.

"Why?" Hermione's eyes were wide as she looked between them.

"Because we both want you and the easiest thing to do is share," Snape said impatiently.

"But you're my teacher," Hermione sounded as if she were clutching at straws. In fact, the whole idea was sounding pretty appetising to her – after all, Snape was an attractive guy and the ideal of having both of them at once was causing her body to react to it. It was only her mind that was fighting it.

"It's not improper for relations to carry on between a teacher and a student once the student is legally recognised as an adult. You are nineteen. It has been done before at Hogwarts, look it up," Snape said.

"Do you want to do this?" Draco asked.

There was a moment's hesitation as Hermione considered their proposal. It was certainly causing some serious reactions within her, and she contemplated the situation as a whole.

"Yes," she finally answered quietly. "I do. But I'm nervous."

"Why would you be nervous?" Draco enquired.

"I've never done anal sex before," Hermione admitted, her face beetroot red.

"Don't worry, we'll leave that off for now, okay? I'll ease you into it," Snape reassured her.

She smiled shyly at him.

"Are you familiar with voyagerism?"

Hermione shook her head and was shocked to be spun around and pulled back against Snape's chest.

"It's when someone watches us play," he said seductively, causing a jolt of expectancy to run through her body. "You're going to have to get used to me so I suggest we let Draco watch."

In a flash he had magicked away her clothes, causing her to rush to cover herself up.

"No need," Snape pulled her hands away. "Get used to it."

He began to kiss her neck. Hermione initially tensed, unable to get the thought that it was her teacher doing this to her out of her head, but once he had nipped her sensitive spot, the waves of feeling in her body managed to shut down her brain.

She felt his hands slide up her sides and cup her breasts, and then he rolled the nipples between his fingers, punching slightly. She looked at Draco; he was watching what was happening, his hand rubbing his erection. Seeing that he was genuinely enjoying what they were doing gave Hermione the permission she was seeking to fully give herself over to Snape.

"Please, touch me," she heard herself say.

Snape growled in her ear at her words and one of his hands slid down her body and spread her lower lips, touching her intimately. The pressure he applied to her clitoris was enough to flood her with desire, but not enough to tip her over.

When he felt her wetness he slid one long finger inside, arching it up slightly to touch that sweet spot inside her. She moaned and thrusted her hips into his hand, seeking the friction that would grant her release.

"Eager, are we?" He asked, his voice low.

He added another finger and began to thrust in and out of her entrance, the other hand finally rubbing her clitoris hard, causing her to come undone in his arms.

She heard Draco groan and when she opened her eyes he was slowly rubbing his erection, the spurts of come spraying over his hand.

"Draco, I don't think you're treating her well enough," Snape said. "She's trembling from it all."

And so she was. The force of the orgasm and the situation was causing her to shake in Snape's arms.

"That was different," Hermione gasped.

"Good different?" Draco queried.

"Good different," Hermione agreed.

"Good enough to do it again?"

"I think so," she replied. "With discretion, of course."

"Believe me, I think we would all prefer to keep it quiet," Draco laughed.

"Two Slytherins, one a former death eater, with the Gryffindor Princess….what a scandal," Snape commented.

Hermione shivered slightly from the slight chill of the dungeons and Snape felt it, being as close as he was. He quickly cleaned her with his wand and then helped her back into her clothes, his touch feather-light.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him, her shyness starting to leave her. "Wait, you're the only one who didn't orgasm."

"That's quite alright, Miss Granger," he said rather stiffly.

"Hermione, please," she said. "Let me help you."

She could see his problem straining against his trousers and, summoning up her Gryffindor courage, reached into his trousers, freed his erection and began to tug on it.

"Hermione, stop," he gasped.

Feeling how out of control he was, she dropped to her knees and replaced her hand with her mouth, lightly sucking on the head before slowly moving her head downwards.

"Ah, fuck," he swore as she licked him upwards.

He grabbed hold of her head and began to thrust into her mouth, never going too far, always stopping just before her gag reflex kicked in. After only five thrusts he came, his seed spilling in her mouth. She cleaned him with her tongue and then, making sure he was watching her, swallowed his come, ignoring the salty taste and the uncomfortability of the thickness of it.

"Thank you, _sir_," She said wickedly as she stood up.

He fixed his glare on her but instead of shrinking away like she would normally would have, she simply stuck her tongue out.

"But when are we going to do this again?" Hermione asked.

"How about you two come down here no more than twice a week?" Snape suggested. "Not before 9 and no later than 12."

"Certainly," Hermione said happily. "Well, I'd better get on with my patrol. Goodnight, Professor, Draco."

And with that she swept out of the room, not even a backwards glance over her shoulder.

"Is it just me or is she in control of the situation?" Draco asked bemused.

"Completely in control," Snape replied.

If only they had seen her reaction once she had closed the door. She had danced around happily in a circle, excited and delighted by the idea of having her professor and Draco – exactly what she had dreamed about.

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><p>How about a review this time?<p> 


	10. Chapter 9

This chapter is a little bit darker but we see the kinder side of Severus Snape (oh how we adore him)

For all those who aren't liking the Severus parts – he is important to the story :/ he appears quite a lot but not for too long.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Over the next couple of weeks, Hermione found herself growing to like the snarky Potions Professor, who was actually quite sensitive towards her. One of the times that they were due to go see her, she had been struck down with a headache but had decided to go nonetheless. As soon as he had seen her in pain he had given her a potion to ease the pain and had then made her a cold drink. All they did during that time was talk, learning more and more about each other as they did.

On the last night that she was due to see him before the Christmas Holidays began, she was almost an hour late going to see Severus (as she now thought of him as). This time it was without Draco, and they took the time to sit down and relax.

However, Severus knew her habits, and knew that she wouldn't have been late without a sufficient reason, so it wasn't long before he asked her what her problem was.

"Why were you late?" He asked her, watching her reaction closely.

"No reason," Hermione replied, her eyes fixed on the page in front of her.

"Hermione, something is bothering you," Severus took the book out of her hands and laid it down on the table. "I'm here to listen. Please, what's wrong?"

"I was talking to Dumbledore," Hermione sighed, running her hand through her hair like she did when she was nervous. "I haven't heard from my parents in a while and they used to write every week. It's worrying. I mean, they lost their dental practice in August because of the economic crash."

"Ahh, I see," Severus looked thoughtful. "How long since you heard from them last?"

"Six weeks," Her lower lip trembled.

"I'm sure they're fine," Severus reassured her, moving over to her and wrapping her in his arms. "If anything's wrong then you can get hold of me and I'll come help, okay?"

She smiled up at him as a tear slipped down her face. He wiped it away then kissed her softly, allowing her to snuggle into him.

"You've become a right softie, you know that?" Hermione said.

"No, I haven't!" He seemed both shocked and annoyed by this observation.

"Would you have done this with anyone else?" Hermione asked.

"I used to," Severus said.

"Oh? With who?" Hermione asked.

"That's a story for another night," Severus replied. "Now, if you run into problems, send a patronus. What is your patronus?"

"An otter," Hermione replied. "Do you really think I'll need your help?"

"Hermione, you can call on me for anything. Anything at all. Even if it's emotional support, okay?"

"Thank you," she kissed him. "I appreciate it."

As Hermione snuggled back down into Severus, she couldn't help but wonder what Draco would be thinking about this. It was only supposed to be a sexual arrangement, but in the last couple of weeks she had found herself growing to like Severus, as surly and sarcastic as he was.

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><p>As soon as Hermione stepped through the wall of Platform 9 and ¾ onto King's Cross Station, she knew something was wrong. Her parents were nowhere to be seen. She saw Ginny, Ron and Harry go over to Mrs Weasley and she offered up a smile with a promise to visit sometime during the summer. But her mind was elsewhere.<p>

She hurried into the bathroom and, after making sure no-one was around, apparated into the local park by her parents' house, which was thankfully deserted. She walked along the road, desperate to see how her parents were. When she reached her parents' house, she found it locked, and she fumbled about trying to find the key that was somewhere in her little overnight bag. Once she had located it she opened the door, only to take a step back as a musty smell hit her.

It was a strange smell, especially considering that her parents were almost OCD like in their cleaning due to their work. She stepped into the house and left the door open, hoping to air out some of the mustiness. She walked through the house and was disgusted by the amount of mess everywhere. It wasn't tidy. She reached up for the light switch but it simply flicked, not turning on at all.

"No electricity," she sighed to herself as she continued her walkthrough of the house.

Hermione went into the kitchen and found plates piled high and food caked to the crockery and the sides. There were stains up the wall as well. She covered her mouth and nose from the rancid smell and went up the stairs, dreading what she would find. In the hallway she stepped on something that cracked under her shoe. When she looked down she saw a needle on the floor.

"Oh, shit," Hermione began to breathe quickly, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

As soon as she opened the bedroom door she screamed.

"Mum, Dad!" She cried out, rushing to the bed where they laid. She checked their pulses and when she was sure that they were still alive she pulled out her mobile phone which she used in the muggle world and called an ambulance.

Tears were beginning to fall now as she looked around the bedroom and found needles all over the floor. On the bedside locker she found a brown powder, and knew that her parents had been taking something highly illegal. She desperately tried to wake them up but to no avail. The bed was caked in a white substance, and she dreaded what it was.

By the time the ambulance arrived she was sobbing hard, standing helplessly by her parents' bed, unable to do anything to help.

"Alright, love, what's the situation?" An friendly paramedic asked her as he edged into the room.

"I don't know," she cried. "I've just come back from boarding school today and this is what I found. I think they've been doing drugs or something but they were normal before I left in September."

"Okay, it's going to be fine," he ushered her out of the wall and radioed for backup. "You don't need to worry about them."

"Why won't they wake up?" She asked.

"It's a common effect of heroin," He replied, causing her to cry out in alarm. "Look, love, what's your name?"

"Hermione," she took the tissue that he offered her.

"Okay, Hermione, I'm Luke," he began to check her Mum's vitals as his partner checked her Dad's. "We're going to look after your parents now. You can come along to the hospital in our ambulance, if you want, and then we can set you up with a place to stay if you have no immediate family nearby."

"Luke, I can stay here," Hermione said, purposefully looking at him so she wouldn't have to see her parents in such a sorry state.

"It's not really safe with all the needles," Luke said firmly.

"I'll stay in a B&B and call in a cleaning crew to get it all fixed," Hermione said, her logical brain beginning to kick in. "I want to be in my own home for Christmas."

"I understand that," Luke and his partner lifted her mum onto a stretcher just as the other paramedics arrived.

As Luke briefed them quickly, Hermione took in her parents' appearance for the first time. They were sallow, with spots and blisters over their faces and their exposed skin. Hermione realised that they were both dirty and smelt really bad and she had to forcibly hold down the contents of her stomach.

Before Hermione knew it she was sat in the back of an ambulance with Luke, who was carefully looking over her Mum as they rode along to the hospital.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hermione asked.

"Well, her vitals are relatively stable so as long as she stops taking heroin she should be fine," Luke smiled at her.

"Thank you," she smiled back.

"You said you've just come back from boarding school?" Luke began to make small talk. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen," Hermione answered. "I had to take a year out last year due to personal reasons."

"Oh, I see," Luke said. "Nasty then. Well I'm twenty-four now, just turned. Only finished my medical training last May."

"Wow, so you haven't been a paramedic for long then," Hermione commented.

"I graduated top of my class, your parents are in good hands with me," Luke mistook her comment as an insult.

"I didn't mean it like that," Hermione was quick to reassure him. "I meant, you handled the situation well. You checked their statistics and you managed to calm me down a little. You did well."

She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. After a few seconds she began aware of him looking at her a little intently, and she broke off the gaze and dipped her head, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

They arrived at the hospital and it became hectic as they efficiently got her mother seen to and stabilised. However, her father was rushed in, the paramedics shouting out orders as they briefed the staff on the situation. Hermione barely managed to catch any words of it but she knew instantly that something was wrong. Her heart-rate raised and as she tried to hurry after them she was stopped and escorted into a 'family room'.

After about an hour, Luke popped his head round the door.

"Hey, Hermione," he stepped into the room. "My shift's just finished. I thought I'd bring you some tea. You don't seem like the coffee type."

"Thanks," she took the disposable cup and wrapped her hands around it, thankful for the warmth. "You're right. I hate coffee."

He sat down next to her.

"Don't you have somewhere to be rather than sitting in a room at a hospital with some stranger?" Hermione asked.

"Erm, no, not really," he looked down at the floor before looking back up at her. "My girlfriend left me back in February and I have no one to go home to so I tend to work a lot. Besides, I don't like the idea of you sat by yourself, especially when you came home to be with your family for Christmas."

"Thanks," Hermione said again.

After about half an hour of silence, a doctor came into the room. The serious expression on his face was enough to make Hermione leap to her feet.

"Miss Granger, I take it?" He asked. She nodded. "I'm Dr. Tiernan. I have to tell you that your father passed away a few minutes ago."

Hermione collapsed to her knees and cried out loud, the horror of the doctor's words almost too much for her to bear.

She was barely aware of the doctor leaving as Luke escorted her back onto a seat. Tears fell from her eyes as she cried for the sudden loss of her father, the loss of her father to a hideous habit. In fact, it had been her father who had sat her down from a young age and had described the horrors of illegal substances and now he had succumbed to them in the worst way.

"I'm so sorry about your father," Luke offered her a hug once she had calmed down a little and she accepted it, too upset to worry about simple things like him not being her boyfriend. "I'm here if you need me. If you need a place to crash, I've got a spare bed at mine."

"Um, Luke, thanks but no thanks," Hermione stepped back from his embrace.

"You have a boyfriend, right?" he sighed.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Hermione felt sorry for Luke. "Believe me, if I didn't, I'd been accepting your offer right about now. You're really nice and you're good-looking. Trust me, some girl will come along who deserves you."

"Thanks, Hermione," Luke smiled weakly. "Well, I actually live two streets down from your parents' house so maybe we could trade numbers and meet up sometime? Strictly as friends."

"Sounds like fun," Hermione quickly took his number down and offered hers. "I guess I'm going to have to go see my dad now."

"You don't have to," Luke said. "You can leave it."

"Luke, with all due respect, he was my father! He was a wonderful man and just because he started taking heroin does not make him any less of a wonderful man!" Hermione couldn't control the rage that spiralled up inside of her.

"Hermione, I didn't mean it like that," Luke tried to talk to her but she left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

A kindly nurse showed her to where they were keeping her father until he was to be moved to the morgue and wisely left her alone. When she looked at her father she was shocked by just how much he had changed in only three months. He seemed emaciated and hollow, his cheeks sunken. When she touched his hand it seemed dry and papery, rather than the warmth and comfort she was accustomed to.

She broke down at his bedside, unable to deal with the death. She wasn't sure how long she was there, tears falling, clutching his hand, but it was a while later than Dr Tiernan was back to escort her to see her mother.

"Mrs Granger is stabilised and awake," He informed her as he took her along the A&E. "She seems alert and responsive, but we haven't yet told her about your father in fear it would send her into shock. I suggest you talk to her about anything else."

"Thank you, Dr Tiernan, for everything," she took his arm briefly before taking a deep breath and entering the private room that her mother was in.

As soon as she was inside her mother smiled at her.

"I know you, Hermione, don't blame yourself," she said instantly.

"But why not? You lost your dental practice and instead of helping you out I went back to school!" Hermione cried out.

"Hermione Jean Granger, shut up!" her mother had surprising force in her voice considering how weak she looked. "We love you and you need to calm down. We'll be fine. I promise."

"Mum, how did you get on this stuff in the first place?" Hermione asked the question that she was desperate to hear the answer for.

"It was just after you left. We were struggling with money and we used to go to the job centre all the time in the hope of finding jobs," her mother took a breath before continuing. "We made friends with some of the people there, people that were in a similar situation to us and we used to invite them around all the time. One time, one of our friends offered us a roll-up and we accepted it, not knowing that it was cannabis until after we'd tried a bit. We quickly became addicted to the high and starting trying more and more serious drugs. It was the feeling of being invincible and having no fears at all. God, it felt amazing."

There was a far-off look of happiness in her mother's eyes that Hermione didn't like.

"Mum, you have to stop it," Hermione pleaded. "Please. It's dangerous. You could die from it."

"I know," she dropped her head. "But I like the high."

"Mum, Dad's dead," Hermione blurted out. "He died about an hour ago from a heroin overdose."

Her mother's face crumpled for a minute and it was clear that she was fighting back tears. It was so difficult to see her mother so weak.

"Mum?" Hermione stepped forward.

"Hermione, I'll stop taking it," her mum looked at her with a fierce determination in her eyes. "Baby, I will stop it for you because you shouldn't have to lose your parents to something so pathetic after everything you've been through."

Hermione cried then, her mother embracing her like she had done many times before throughout her childhood. Hermione wept not only for the loss of her father, but for the loss of all those throughout the war, and for the bravery of her mother in a horror like this.

* * *

><p>When Hermione finally got back home at about ten o'clock that evening, she wanted to collapse on her bed more than anything. However, she made it her first priority to clean up the household. She threw herself into her work, closing all the curtains so that the neighbours wouldn't see her performing the magic to clean up the place.<p>

It took her almost three hours to clean the house back to its normal state. By the time she had finished there was no trace of the needles or the horrific stains all over the place. She dutifully cleaned up her parents' bedroom as well, but she had to take a few minutes out so she could sit down and try not to cry due to all of her father's things that brought back so many memories.

To her dismay, as she cleaned up the place she noticed that a few valuable things were missing, such as the television, the stereo and some of her mother's jewellery. Thankfully, her room had been left completely undisturbed, and her precious necklace that was left to her by her grandmother was still there, along with other valuables.

When she had finally cleaned up the whole house she sat down and composed two letters, one to each of her lovers, outlining what had happened. She called on the owl post delivery service and sent the letters off on their way.

Once it was all done she was able to collapse on her bed. She was asleep instantly.

* * *

><p>It was breakfast at Hogwarts and Severus was looking his usual surly self as he took his place at the High Table. He had barely began eating his food when the owl post arrived.<p>

He glowered into his plate, hating the owl post more than ever. Always at Hogwarts, it had been noted by the other students that he was practically the only one to never get any post. His parents simply hadn't cared enough about his to worry about contacting him during the school year, and even as a teacher he still never got post, his acquaintances always contacting him in different ways.

So it was a huge shock for an owl to drop a letter onto his lap. He started then checked the name on the envelope to make sure it really was for him. The headmaster looked at him inquiringly.

"Someone I should know about?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"No, Headmaster," Severus said.

He looked at the writing and knew who it was from. The tiny, yet perfect font was the trademark handwriting of Hermione, and he tore open the letter, scanning the contents.

It was typical Hermione. She had informed him in almost a detached way the events of yesterday, and she had tried to remain nonchalant, but it was obvious that it was hurting her. When he reached the part about her father's death, he almost gasped, but managed to refrain from doing so.

He did scoff at the last bit, which read:

_Although the situation may seem bad, I can assure you that I am perfectly capable of managing it by myself. I am not asking for your help, but I thought I had better inform you of the events that I've had encountered since leaving Hogwarts. I will see you in January._

_All the best,_

_Hermione. _

He turned to the Headmaster who was looking back at him over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

"Headmaster, would it be possible for me to go somewhere for the holidays?" Severus asked, his tone polite.

"Where?"

"That's personal," Severus's tone changed.

"Who's the letter from, Severus?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Please tell me it's not Draco."

"It's not Draco," Severus answered truthfully.

"Are you getting involved in another of my students, Severus? You know the protocol on that," Dumbledore warned.

"Albus, you know as well as I do that as long as the student is 17 or over, it is permitted," Severus replied calmly. "Now, please, can I go? Poppy has enough potions to get her by for a couple of months and I will be gone for two weeks top."

"Well, I guess that's okay then," Dumbledore said.

Severus rose up from the table and exited through the staff door. He went down to his quarters, quickly packed a bag and left Hogwarts for Hogsmeade.

* * *

><p>Hermione awoke to a loud and persistant knocking on the front door. She dragged herself out of bed, ignoring the pounding in her head from all the crying she had done the day before, and went downstairs to open the door. All the grogginess was shocked at of her by who was at the door.<p>

"Severus, what are you doing here?"

"I came to support you," He answered simply.

"I can manage myself," Hermione snapped.

He looked her up and down slowly with a smirk on his face and Hermione was painfully aware that she was still in yesterday's clothes and that her hair was a frightful mess. She clutched her cardigan around her tighter.

"It looks like it," he drawled.

Hermione grudgingly stepped aside and let him into the house. He appeared to be rather curious by the house, and Hermione led the way into the kitchen.

"Tea?" Hermione offered. "I would offer you coffee but my family hate it."

"Tea's good," Severus replied as he sat down on one of the breakfast stools.

Hermione busied herself with making the tea and she stood by Severus once she had finished.

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Hermione said shortly.

"Hermione, you are talking to me," Severus pressed.

She took a deep breath and when she looked at him her eyes were filled with tears. Instantly he engulfed her tightly in his arms as she cried and cried, unrelenting in her sobs. Severus simply stood there and held her until she had calmed down enough to lift her head away from his now soaked chest and stare up at him, her eyes red-rimmed.

"I'm sorry, I've made your shirt wet," she went to step away but Severus tightened his hold on her.

"It's okay," he said, "Besides, I like how you feel in my arms."

"Ohh, is the moody Severus Severus a secret romantic at heart?" Hermione lightly teased.

"I'll have you know that I am actually," he answered, a frown on his face. "The only reason why I was also so moody was because of what I had to do at those awful Dark Revels and also because I was mourning for someone that I had loved with every fibre of my being and who had never reciprocated."

Hermione froze up and stepped back, her heart falling at the thought of Severus loving another. Severus understood her actions and pulled her back again.

"She's out of the picture permanently," Severus continued softly. "I think some part of me will always love her. I loved her for so many years and she was my first love after all. But, I've moved on. Why should I get upset and angry over someone who died many years ago?"

"Severus, who was it?" Hermione asked.

"Lily Evans," Severus sighed.

"As in, Harry's mum?" Hermione checked. "Jesus Christ, I would never have thought that!"

"Well, in my defense, I did know her before school," Severus seemed a little offended by Hermione's reaction. "We were friends up until fifth year when an unfortunate incidence threw her into the arms on my most hated enemy."

"James Potter," Hermione looked at him wide-eyed.

"Yes," Severus looked as if he was going to expand that but they were interrupted by an owl tapping on the window. Hermione rushed over to the window and let it in, taking the letter off its leg and placing a knut in the pouch strapped to it. It flew off, a little affronted about the lack of food. Hermione recognised the scrawl on the outside of the parchment and her heart fluttered as she unrolled it to read Draco's words.

_My dearest Hermione,_

_I can't help but write this in a state of shock. This was the last thing I expected, especially considered how you have talked about your parents in the last few months. However, although I am rather taken-aback by the events, my primary concern is you, my dear. How are you taking it? The loss of a parent is horrible in the best circumstances (take it from someone who knows) and I dread to think just how you're feeling. I want you to know that I will be there tomorrow, but I will have to leave to come back to the Manor for Christmas. _

_My mother is perfectly understanding of the situation and passes on her condolences. In fact, she has asked that you attend the Christmas dinner at our place, save you having to deal with Christmas alone. I will talk to you about everything tomorrow, and I want you to know that if you ever need me, all you have to do is write me and I will be there in an instant._

_I love you,_

_Draco._

"Oh, God," Hermione clutched the letter.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked, trying to glance at the letter.

"I've been invited to Malfoy Manor for Christmas," Hermione said.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Severus laughed. "With Lucius gone there is no qualms about muggleborns entering the house. Narcissa adores all company, regardless of their stature."

"Why was she a Death Eater then?" Hermione questioned.

"Alas, love is blind," Severus sighed. "She only joined the Death Eaters to please her husband. She loved him desperately and all he ever did was have affair after affair after affair."

"That's horrible," Hermione was stricken. "Poor woman."

"Lucius never did learn how to treat women, I'm afraid to say," Severus said. "Poor Narcissa was often beaten and Lucius regularly offered her to other Death Eaters to enjoy. He didn't care about her."

"That's sick," Hermione felt a little ill at the thought. "That really is sick."

"Yep, but she put up with it so it's her own fault," Severus said casually.

"What is wrong with you?" Hermione exclaimed. "The poor woman was in love and if you truly love someone you'd do anything for them."

"Maybe so, but something like that isn't love, its domination," Severus answered.

"Yeah, and you'd know all about domination, wouldn't you, Severus," a familiar voice interrupted them.

Hermione squealed and ran into the arms of her beloved. He dropped his small holdall and held her tightly to him, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow?" Hermione said questionably.

"I know but my Mother decided that I should come to your side as soon as possible, so here I am," he smiled at her.

Hermione turned to look at Severus and was surprised by the look he was giving Draco. It was full of daggers, and Hermione reckoned she had never seen so much hatred before, not even aimed at Harry.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"Nothing," he snarled.

"Severus doesn't like the fact that I referred to his joys of domination," Draco explained, his voice sour.

"Domination?" Hermione looked puzzled. "You mean, as in, S&M?"

"Exactly like that."

"Shut up, Draco," Severus was fuming now.

"Severus used to be my dom, and I was his sub," Draco explained, much to Hermione's shock. "It was from my fifth year up until my seventh year. He taught me everything I know."

"You mean, you two, were together?" Hermione pointed a shaking finger between the two.

"Yes," Draco said. "We were. That's one of the reasons why we thought of this whole threesome thing."

"Draco, shut the fuck up!" Severus lost his composure.

"You wanted to fuck each other again, didn't you?" Hermione's voice rose. "You just didn't want to lose me. God, you two make me feel sick! You know what? You're more than welcome to have one another! I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, his voice worried and his face pale.

"Somewhere away from you two."

As she left the room she heard Severus begin to shout at Draco. By the time they had thought to chase her down, she had disappeared.

* * *

><p>Ooooooo :O Hermione now knows…why did Draco tell her?<p>

Review and let us know what you think?


	11. Chapter 10

Hey guys :) we're back after a rather long break (for which we are extremely apologetic) - it results from a lack of internet connection :( still, here is the next chapter.

Oh, as for those of you who get freaked out by guy/guy stuff, I'm going to put in a warning for you to skip those sections in future :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Hermione hotfooted to a small café where her parents used to take her every Saturday for an English Breakfast. She ordered a hot chocolate and whilst the kindly elderly waitress went to get it, she dialled a number in her mobile and pressed call, desperately hoping that she would get an answer. She did.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Luke, are you busy?" Hermione asked.

"Umm, no, actually, it's my day off, why?"

"I could use your company," Hermione listed the place she was at and he informed her that he wouldn't be long.

In fact, he wasn't. Hermione still had her hands wrapped around the mug of hot chocolate when he turned up. His face lit up when he saw her and he slid into the seat directly across from her.

"What's wrong? You didn't sound too good on the phone," Luke asked instantly.

"It's too long a story and too difficult to explain and I doubt you would understand anyway so there's no point explaining it anyway," Hermione sighed. "It's relationship troubles."

"Oh, I see," he took one of her hands in his. "Why don't you try talking to me?"

"Promise not to judge me?"

"I promise," Luke swore.

"My boyfriend suggested to me that we try a threesome with another guy and I went along with it. But it's become quite serious, as if all three of us were in a relationship rather than just two and I've just found out that my boyfriend and this other guy used to be lovers and I reckon that they only thought up this threesome thing so they could fuck one another again. My boyfriend practically suggested it himself," Hermione rattled this all out in a single breath. She hardly dared to look at Luke afterwards just in case he laughed at her.

"That's pretty terrible," Luke sighed. "What jackasses. A pretty girl like you should never have to deal with guys like that; they're not worth it."

"They may not be worth it but I do love them," Hermione managed to get out before she started crying.

Luke was by her side in a flash, hugging her. He let her cry onto his shoulder, glaring at everyone who had the cheek to stare wide-eyed at them. After a couple of minutes he led her out of the shop, taking her back to his.

"Hermione, you're at my place now, okay?" Luke said to her.

She didn't give him a second look and she didn't even look at her surroundings. He took her hand and escorted her up the stairs, only letting go of her to open the door to his flat. Once inside he left her by the door and did some quick tidying up (aka, throwing things behind the sofa). It didn't matter to her though; she was too distraught to care about something as trivial as a little bit of mess.

Whilst he was cleaning rapidly, Hermione quietened down, easing into a thoughtful yet depressed state. Luke made her some tea before sitting her down on the now (relatively) clean sofa and giving it to her.

"What do I do?" She moaned, staring into the cup as if hoping it would offer her some answer.

"Well, you say that your boyfriend and this other man were together a while ago?" Luke mused for a moment. "Do you know the nature of their relationship?"

"No, to be honest, I don't," Hermione sighed, taking a warming sip of her cup. "I didn't know before today."

"Can you not think of anything that would help?" Luke persisted. "Knowing the nature of their relationship is key to understanding them."

"They were into S&M," Hermione murmured, half-ashamed to admit it.

"Let me guess, your boyfriend was the sub?" Luke asked. Hermione nodded once, never looking up from her tea. "Then the reason why they want to be with each other has nothing to do with love, it's about loyalty and sexual pleasure. From what you've told me, they care about you, especially your boyfriend, but the sort of pleasure that comes from S&M cannot be replicated in a normal relationship. How often do you have sex?"

"Once," Hermione saw the look on his face and instantly snarled. "We were taking it slowly. We've only been dating for about two months."

"I see," Luke said. "I wasn't assuming anything from it. How was the sex?"

"Lovely," Hermione sighed, a far-off look in her eye. "Romantic. Everything you could hope for. But it was a little rough because we were both rather sexual charged."

"I thought as much," Luke placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione, he's not sure how to act with you. He loves you, that much is clear. A guy is never romantic in bed with a girl unless he really genuinely cares about her, trust me on that. But I expect that you are the first relationship he's had since he's been a sub. It's scary for him and so he goes running back to what he knows best."

"But why did he wait until now to tell me?" Hermione cried.

"He told you?" Luke was shocked. "I thought you just happened to find out."

"No, he told me," Hermione said. "He told me in the kitchen of my parents' house whilst Severus was there."

"Oh, Hermione, you've completely misinterpreted the situation and the meaning behind this. Has your relationship become more serious lately?"

"I told him I love him," Hermione replied. "Why?"

"He's told you this because he cares too much about you for you to not know," Luke explained softly. "I expect that this was all pre-arranged between them just before you told him that and he just went along with the plan. But now he loves you and he's realised that you love him and he doesn't want to keep it a secret. You said you love both of them, right?"

"Yes," Hermione breathed. "That I do."

"Well, if you truly love them, accept the situation," Luke said. "Make it clear that it is your boyfriend that is your number one and just realise that what's happened in the past is the past. They care about you, you care about them, are you really going to let something come between you that is rather pointless? You agreed to this threesome in the first place; it's your fault as much as theirs."

"Wow, that is true," Hermione looked at him. "How the hell do you know all this stuff?"

"My older sister is a sex therapist," Luke beamed.

"Wow," Hermione repeated. "Thanks for the tea, Luke, but I've got to go and salvage my relationship. I'll definitely text you and let you know how it went."

She stood up at the same time as Luke and she flew into his arms, kissed him chastely on the lips and left, a spring in her step as she walked down the street.

When she reached her house, she disillusioned herself, meaning to surprise them with her sudden appearance. She sneaked in through the backdoor and made her way through the house, searching for them.

* * *

><p><strong>guyguy section - skip to the next bold print if you want**

* * *

><p>The original plan had been for her to shock them, not them to shock her. They were having sex in the living room, the curtains drawn, and the light on. Hermione covered her mouth to stop the gasp that threatened to escape.<p>

Draco was on his hands and knees, his head down as Severus thrusted into him hard. As she watched, Severus grabbed hold of Draco's hair and yanked his head up, displaying Draco's tear-stained face to her. Hermione was horrified, the sight of her boyfriend being used like an animal sickened her to her core, and she realised in that split second that Severus was exactly like she had thought throughout seven years of her life.

"Come now," Severus growled, as his hand encircled Draco's engorged penis and tugged.

One tug and Draco came undone, crying out loud. It was only through sheer determination that he was able to stay on his hands and knees, and Severus thrusted harder and harder into him, milking him for every last second he had.

Hermione knew when Severus came; it was when his hand tightened on Draco's hair and then suddenly released. He thrusted a couple more times before pulling out. Only then did Draco's arms and legs give out and he fell to the floor, panting hard. Hermione noticed with a slightly jerk of her heart that Draco's ass was bright red.

Severus cleaned them up and then, much to Hermione's surprise, he picked up Draco like a baby and sat down on the sofa with Draco cradled in his arms. He gently kissed the top of Draco's head.

* * *

><p><strong>okay, safe from now...<strong>

* * *

><p>"I've missed all of this," Draco sighed.<p>

"So have I," Severus replied. "That's the first time since you left me."

"Really?" Draco looked up at him, wonder in his eyes.

"Yeah, really," Severus was sullen. "Draco, I know you love her, why did you tell her?"

"I didn't want to hide it from her," He climbed off Severus's lap and sat with his head in his hands. "I wanted her to know. We're bonded together for life."

"Is that what that choker is all about?" Severus asked. "I thought you had come over to the dark side and collared her."

"I could never collar her!" Draco said outraged. "I love her, Severus. I would never force her into this world. Never! She's too pure and too perfect."

"Is that why you didn't stay with me?" Severus asked, emotion clouding his voice. "Because I'm morally corrupt?"

"Severus, you're not corrupt," Draco hugged him tightly. "You meant everything to me. You still do mean a lot to me. I loved you, that much is true, but I couldn't deal with it any more. And now I've found someone who loves me for who I am and I don't want to lose her. But my past has come back to haunt me and there's no way she's come back."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Hermione revealed herself to them.

Draco gasped and went to hug her, before realising he was naked. He babbled, pointing backwards and forwards between him and Severus, attempting to explain the situation.

"No need to explain, I saw it and I understand," Hermione put her hand up to shut him up.

"You understand?" Draco asked.

"Yep," Hermione smiled at him. "I understand and I'm happy to continue, but as long as you realise that I'm your girlfriend."

"I know you are," Draco said.

"I mean that I should be more important than Severus," Hermione said, then blushed. "No, that came out wrong, sorry, Severus."

"It's okay," Severus shrugged his shoulders. "You two are in the relationship so you two can deal with the feelings and I'm the third wheel so you come to me for sex."

"Exactly," Hermione said pleased. "I'm glad someone understands me."

"I get it," Draco said. "I do understand what you mean. Hermione, I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

They stepped towards each other and then kissed, neither minding that Draco was naked. In fact, Hermione took the opportunity to feel up his lovely pert bottom, much to his amusement.

"Anyway, we should get decent, I think," Severus said, rather pointedly.

Hermione and Draco broke apart, both a little embarrassed. Draco and Severus dressed, and then Severus offered to cook dinner.

"Can you cook?" Hermione blurted out before she could stop it. "I mean, sorry, I don't mean to tell you that your cooking sucks but I've never seen you cook."

"Hermione, how often do you see me in the Great Hall?" Severus asked her.

"Beginning of the year, end of term feast and special occasions," Hermione rattled off much to the other's surprise. "I pay attention, you know."

"Oh, I know," Severus said darkly. "What do you suppose I do during the rest of the time – starve?"

"House-elves," Hermione said subdued.

"No, I cook for myself," Severus snapped. "Now, I am going to go and cook dinner. Goodbye."

He left the room, his face dark with an unknown expression. Hermione stared after him for a moment before Draco dragged her onto the sofa, sitting her down next to him.

"So, Malfoy Manor," Hermione said.

"Yes," Draco beamed. "Christmas time."

"Just Christmas or?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you were actually invited for the whole of the holiday but I told my mother that you wouldn't be too happy with that considering that you'd want to see your mother," Draco said. "So you can come and go as you please."

"Really?" Hermione bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, taking both of her hands in his.

"Your family's really rich," Hermione said. "How am I supposed to act? What am I supposed to wear?"

"You act normally and you dress how you want," Draco replied smiling. "But don't wear jeans. My mother can't abide jeans."

"But most of my wardrobe is jeans!" Hermione cried in angst.

"Don't worry about it," Draco said. "You've got some things that aren't jeans and you can work with that."

* * *

><p>Hermione looked down at her outfit and sighed. She felt silly. She had gone to great lengths to find something half-decent to wear for her Christmas dinner and now that she had picked her outfit she felt horribly over-dressed. She had picked a simple white wrap-around dress with a green cardigan but she worried that she should have worn trousers.<p>

It was never this difficult at home! She normally woke up Christmas morning, threw on her dressing gown and ran downstairs to open her presents with her parents. When it was time to get dressed, it was always in a pair of jeans and a lovely warm jumper – obviously something she couldn't wear now if Narcissa was dead set against jeans.

Draco apparated to her side with a pop! Last night, whilst she had gone up to the hospital, Draco and Severus had gone to Malfoy Manor in order to help Narcissa set up for today. Narcissa had kindly extended her invitation to Severus, and now he was stuck there, more than likely scowling at having to celebrate his least favourite holiday.

"Wow, darling, you look beautiful," He pecked her on the cheek.

"I'm not too overdressed, am I?" She asked worriedly.

"No, not at all," Draco smiled at her.

He was wearing fitted black trousers with a white jumper, something that suited him perfectly. She left her little black handbag in her bedroom, making the judgement call that she didn't need it whilst there. In fact, the only reason she had it in the first place was from taking up her mother her Christmas card and also a pair of small gold hoop earrings, similar to the ones that her mother had pawned to fund her habit.

"You ready to go?" Draco asked.

Hermione smiled nervously, then took the arm Draco offered to her. In an instant they were being sucked through that crushing vortex, only to land in the middle of a country lane, the surroundings perfectly white with snow. As Draco led her up to the Manor, Hermione marvelled at the beautiful landscape, the snow gently dusting the ground, the icicles that had formed off the branches of an old willow tree. The ground crunched under her sensible black shoes.

"Welcome to my home," Draco said.

Hermione stared open-mouthed. She knew it was uncouth but she couldn't help it. It was the biggest place she had ever seen, three floors of majestic grey stones, with gargoyles that actually moved menacingly whenever someone approached. The windows were large, and several were beautiful stained-glass designs. The gates that signalled the beginning of the Malfoy property were large, iron-wrought, perfectly smooth and they opened automatically.

"They open for anyone with Malfoy blood," Draco explained.

They walked up the long driveway, passing several trees and a large frozen pond on the way. Hermione still couldn't wrap her mind around how stunning the place truly was, and it caused her heart to stutter as they reached the huge oak door that was the front door. She was more nervous than ever, concerned once more about her appearance and about making a good impression.

"This place will be yours one day," Draco whispered to her.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed.

Draco hooked her choker with one finger and tugged lightly, reminding her of their eternal bond.

"Oh, shit, Draco, I couldn't live here!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes, you can and you will," Draco said firmly, as the door was opened by none other than Severus.

"Hi!" Hermione beamed at him as she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly.

"Narcissa will be down in a minute," Severus warned gently, trying to remain serious and stern but failing as the warmth from her kiss spread through her body.

"Oh, do I look okay?" Hermione touched her perfectly styled hair.

"You look beautiful," Draco assured her.

She crossed the hallway to a mirror that was there and looked herself over, making sure that her eyeliner was set perfectly and her hair, which she had curled into ringlets, was still piled high on her head with several loose ringlets dangling by her ears.

There was a loud crack and Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. She whirled around to see a house-elf wearing a smart little dress stood in the middle of the hallways.

"Mistress Cissy is just about to arrive," the female said importantly, before disapparating.

"Was that house-elf wearing clothes?" Hermione asked astonished.

"Yes, Mila was wearing clothes," a smooth, very feminine voice said.

Hermione looked at the stairs, where a very beautiful woman was stood. She had met Narcissa before, under unfortunate circumstances and she had been pretty then. Now, in her own home, free from her husband and dark forces, she was stunning, the most beautiful woman that Hermione had ever seen. She was wearing a cream skirt with a black shirt, and she looked very chic. Her hair, which had been the same colour as Draco's when she last saw her, had turned a glossy black colour, which highlighted her bright blue eyes.

"Hermione, I presume," Narcissa smiled at her. "It's a pleasure. I've heard quite a lot about you."

"Mrs Malfoy," Hermione gave a single nod for politeness, fighting the urge to courtesy.

"Please, call me Narcissa," She walked over to her. "You will end up as my daughter-in-law, after all." Her hand reached out to touch the choker but she stopped just short.

"Mum, I'm just going to go check on the dinner," Draco said skilfully, taking Severus with him as he left the room, leaving the two women alone.

Hermione made a mental note to seriously hurt him lately for sticking her with a woman who was clearly her superior in every way.

"Please forgive me for the impoliteness, but why was Mila wearing clothes?" Hermione enquired to start the conversation.

"After Lucius passed away I gave all of the house-elves clothes," Narcissa explained. "I gave them the option to leave or stay. The majority stayed."

"You must be a good mistress then," Hermione commented.

"I was always polite to them, it was my husband who was a dick," Narcissa said.

Hermione looked at her in shock at hearing such an uncouth word coming from her mouth.

"I can assure you, Hermione, that worst things have come out of my mouth," Narcissa laughed. "Now, will you please relax? I am a perfectly normal woman and I am not my dead husband. I have different principles to him."

"Why did you go along with it then?" Hermione tried to keep the shimmering heat of rage buried deep inside her but it was difficult. "You stood there whilst I was being tortured."

"Do you mean to tell me that if you, Harry or Ron had captured Bellatrix Lestrange that you wouldn't have tortured her for information?" Narcissa asked her, her voice calm but the question harsh.

"That's a different situation!"

"How?" Narcissa questioned. "Why is it any different? We did everything we could for the side we thought was right, just like you did. And I can assure you that whilst I did not believe what they did – some of my best friends have been muggle-born – I was a woman in love and I would have done anything for my husband. I would have – and I did – kill for him. I understand that you are angry, and I understand why, but I implore you to see it from my point of view. Would you have done the same in my position?"

"Probably, yeah," Hermione sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologise, Hermione," Narcissa took her by the arm and led her into a large sitting room. "It was something that needed dealing with. Now, down to serious business, why are you with my son?"

"Huh?" Hermione looked confused as Narcissa repeated the question. "Because I love him."

"Not after money or anything?" Narcissa questioned.

"Not at all!" Hermione was appalled. "Money doesn't mean that much. I mean, after the war I could apply for any job and ask for any salary and I'd get it, but I'm with your son because I love him. There is no hidden agenda."

"Okay, good," Narcissa resumed her happy demeanour. "Pray excuse me for a minute."

Narcissa left the room and Hermione sat on one of the sofas, a little confused by the whole conversation. Narcissa was an odd woman, whose moods and conversations could change tone within a split second, and Hermione wasn't quite sure if she liked her or not. The woman was beautiful and charming, but Hermione couldn't quite get the image of her being a Death Eater out of her head.

Narcissa entered the room a couple of minutes after she left with a small box in her hands.

"I noticed that you didn't have any jewellery on and I didn't buy you a present so I'm giving you some of the Malfoy jewellery," Narcissa said, giving Hermione the box.

"I don't want anything, thank you," Hermione said, holding the box as if it would explode.

"You may not want it but you are having it," Narcissa replied firmly.

Hermione opened the box and saw a beautiful emerald earrings and necklace set. They were drop designed, and Hermione marvelled over them. Narcissa urged her to put them on and she did so with shaking hands, wondering just how much they cost.

"I wouldn't wear them too often," Narcissa said. "Although they aren't worth much compared to a lot of the Malfoy jewellery, they are worth thousands of pounds."

"What if I lose them?" Hermione asked worried.

"Don't concern yourself with that, dear," Narcissa smiled that beautiful smile again. "I can assure you that they can easily be replaced."

As Hermione fingered the necklace, she wondered just exactly how much the Malfoys were worth. To live in a Manor like this, and to own jewellery that is 'cheap' at thousands of pounds must been that they would be rolling in it.

"So, how are my beautiful women getting on?" Draco entered the room, a huge smile on his face.

"We are getting on fabulously," Narcissa answered her son with her trademark smile. "Aren't we, dear?"

"Well, as well as we possibly could," Hermione said, a little ambiguously. "Narcissa is a lovely woman."

"Thank you, Hermione," Narcissa said. "I think you are well suited to my son."

"Really?" Draco looked as shocked as Hermione felt.

"Indeed," Narcissa replied. "She's smart, intelligent, and she has good connections."

"Is connections all you ever think about, Narcissa?" Severus's silky voice filled the room. "Look at Hermione, she thinks that you are only encouraging this relationship because of the positive publicity that it would bring upon the Malfoy family. Are you, Narcissa?"

"No, I am not, Severus," Narcissa's voice was icy, making Hermione believe that there was history between them.

"It certainly seems that way," Severus stepped up to her.

Narcissa flinched, but didn't back down, something that Hermione admired. She had often been on the receiving end of one of Severus's infamous glares, and she could only imagine the courage that it took to stand up against him like that.

"Mistress Cissy and guests, dinner is served," The house-elf from earlier, Mila, squeaked.

Narcissa had found the excuse to move away from Severus, which she did so eagerly. She adopted her smile once more and led the way into the extravagant dining room. A large dining table, enough to seat at least fifty people took up the centre of the room, and all around the walls were prominent Malfoy figures, including Draco's grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy and also Brutus Malfoy, who had been the chief editor of _Warlock at War_, which had been a huge anti-muggle periodical. Hermione instantly felt uneased, and she was on edge throughout the dinner, which was large and extravagant, matching the whole façade of Malfoy Manor.

That's what she realised it was. All the beautiful landscape and the stunning house could not hide years of torment and anguish. She dreaded to think how many muggles and muggle-borns had lost their lives in this Manor, and she felt as if she could hear their screams of pain. The Malfoys displayed their wealth so that people would be superficially impressed and forget just what the Malfoys stood for: purity.

She was beginning to feel sick.

"Draco, I need to leave," she whispered to her boyfriend, who had either not heard her or had chosen to ignore her. She desperately hoped it was the former.

She looked across to Severus, who seemed to understand what she needed and stood up, interrupting the cheerful conversation between mother and son.

"Is something wrong?" Narcissa enquired.

"Hermione's not feeling very well," Severus said, walking over to help her up. "I'm going to take her home. Draco, you stay here and come home later when you've finished. Goodbye, Narcissa, it was a lovely dinner."

Before Hermione could apologise to Narcissa, Severus had escorted her from the room and they hurried out of the Malfoy property so that it was possible to apparate home. Although Hermione knew where she wanted to go, she was still feeling nauseous, so Severus was the one who apparated them.

Hermione only relaxed slightly once she was sat in her own kitchen.

"I don't like the place," Hermione said.

"I don't blame you," Severus sat down opposite her. "It's a truly horrible place."

"It's so repressive for muggle-borns," Hermione shivered as she thought about it. "They hide behind their wealth."

"Severus, what happened between you and Narcissa?" Hermione asked tentatively, remembering Narcissa's reaction to Severus's presence.

"Ahh, I thought you would ask about that," he sighed. "We used to be lovers. Lucius suggested to the Dark Lord that because I didn't have a wife I should be allowed free roam of all the female Death Eaters and any prisoners. He was trying to help me but it was disgusting. He frequently offered Narcissa to me and I took her, purely because she was so beautiful."

"But you said you were lovers, not that you used to have sex," Hermione pressed.

"She enjoyed it," Severus continued. "She enjoyed it to the point where she didn't want to have sex with her own husband any more. But she fell pregnant."

"But, what?"

"Not Draco," Severus assured her. "This was after Draco was born. However, there were complications and Narcissa lost the baby, almost bleeding to death. The very next day, Lucius took her to one of the revels and offered her to me again. I tried to refuse."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, half-afraid to hear the answer.

"I was put under the Imperious curse and forced to have sex with her," Snape covered his face with his hands. "It was horrible. I couldn't stop and she knew I couldn't stop, but I had to. She was screaming in agony throughout the whole time because they forced me to be rough and she bled everywhere, all over me, all over my clothes. She spent two months in a coma and couldn't walk for three months more. And then she was told she couldn't have more children, she was too damaged from the rape that she wouldn't be able to hold a baby. She blamed me."

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione reached out and touched him, hugging him when he responded. "It wasn't your fault."

"I used to have nightmares about it," Severus admitted. "But then Draco came along and they stopped."

"Do you love Draco?" Hermione asked.

"No," He answered. "I don't think I ever did. But I cared about him so much, almost to the point where I loved him, but it didn't end up as love."

"Severus, why did you want this threesome?" Hermione dared to ask the question that she had wanted the answer to for a while.

"Because I wanted you both," He answered honestly. "I never stopped wanting Draco, and I started to want you when you strutted your stuff about with Potter and wiggled your ass in my face."

"Oh," Hermione blushed red. "I got you a Christmas present."

She handed him a flat package, and he opened it to find a photo of the three of them, sat in his study, laughing loudly at a joke Draco had said. He looked up at her astonished.

"You cover your walls with quotes because you have nothing to put up," Hermione said softly. "You don't have any family and you never made friends. But you have two people who love you and care about you and I think you should display it. I hid a camera on your bookshelf and this was one of the photos that it took. I thought it was the best one because it shows you that there is happiness and friendship in life, even in the darkest moments."

Severus ran his fingers across the photo wordlessly and felt as if he were going to cry. Not only had she got him a Christmas present, but she had got him something that he would treasure forever.

"Thank you," his voice was a little choked.

"You're welcome," Hermione kissed the top of his head and wisely left him alone, leaving him to look at the photo and wonder.

* * *

><p>"Mum, I'm going back to Hogwarts tomorrow," Hermione said.<p>

She was back up at the hospital, as she had been every day that holiday. Throughout the time her mother had begun to look cleaner and healthier as she was slowly weaned off the drugs and eased back to health. It would take a long time for her to be back to normal, at least as normal as she could be without her husband.

Hermione had managed to get her mother out of hospital to attend her father's funeral a few days earlier. As per his request, he had been cremated, and now his ashes sat in a beautiful urn next to her mother's hospital bed.

In fact, her mother looked at the urn before talking to her precious daughter.

"I know, Hermione, and I know that you're worried about me," She said. "But please, don't be. I'm a big girl and I'm never touching that stuff again."

"Good, because you understand that I will have Mrs Weasley dropping in from time to time to check up on you and I can assure you that if you dare to relapse she will have you round her house and she will force you to go 'cold turkey'," Hermione warned, much to her mother's amusement.

"I know, dear," Suddenly her mother's face saddened. "Your father would be so proud of you. He always hated what we were doing and what I had to do to get the money for the next hit, but it's like a black hole. No matter how hard you try, you'll get sucked in."

"Mum, what did you have to do to get the money?" Hermione asked.

"Horrible, horrible things," she closed her eyes and a tear slipped from between her lids. "Selling yourself is never a good idea. I was beaten and they would use me until I couldn't stand any more. Never do that to yourself, baby, promise me."

"I promise, Mum," Hermione's eyes were awash with unshed tears as she held her mother's hand. "I promise."

"Good girl," She looked at her daughter. "You are my only hope now. Whatever you do, be happy. I don't care if you don't get paid much, I don't care if you don't live in a nice house, but please, make sure that you're happy. That's all that matters."

Hermione nodded to her mother, who shut her eyes once more and drifted off to sleep. Before she left, Hermione conjured some yellow roses, her mother's favourite flower, and placed them in a vase beside the bed. She leaned over, pressed a kiss to her mother's forehead, then left.

* * *

><p>Okay, well :) chapter done and updated :) hope it's satisfactory...let us know :)<p> 


	12. Chapter 11

Wow, thank you so much for all the support. Although we know that you shouldn't stop writing because of what some people think, it gets a bit much when the only review you receive for a chapter is informing you that the reader is going to stop reading. It makes it difficult to bother finishing the story. Still, as long as we continue getting support, we will carry on posting it.

Thanks again

And guess what? We've had brilliant news – Becky just got accepted in university so congrats to her

**Chapter 10**

* * *

><p>Back at school, things quickly fell back into a routine. Hermione worked hard, as per usual, did extra credit, as per usual and divided her time between seeing her friends and seeing her boyfriend. Twice a week, they went down to Severus's quarters, sometimes to chat, sometimes for sex. The situation worked perfectly for her, and she soon found herself being a bit freer with her time, enjoying herself as well as working.<p>

"Hey, Hermione," Ron ran up to her in the Great Hall, excitement all over his face. "Guess what?"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Nott asked me out," Ron half-squealed.

"Didn't you guys start going out after the party?" Hermione was confused.

"No," Ron sighed. "We started dating but now we're officially going out."

"Okay, cool," Hermione smiled at him and hugged him. "Congratulations, buddy."

"Thanks," he beamed. "Hey, you know, everyone's going out with someone else in our group apart from Millie."

"Yeah, that's true," Hermione mused. "Hold on a minute, I have an idea."

As Hermione told Ron her idea, he smiled more and more and then clapped his hands in joy.

"Should we start now?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned and went to go sit by Millie.

"Hey, Millie, Seamus Finnigan keeps looking at you," Hermione said casually, knowing that Ron was saying the reverse to Seamus now.

Millie looked over to him just as Seamus looked up and their eyes looked for a brief moment. Millie blushed and Seamus smiled, a twinkle in his eye.

"You should go talk to him," Hermione suggested.

"No way!" Millie cried.

Hermione wasn't taking no for an answer as she grabbed hold of Millie's arm and dragged her over to the Gryffindor table, sitting her down opposite Seamus.

"Seamus, this is Millie and she thinks you're cute," Hermione said, before she and Ron left them to chat.

As they watched from a distance, Seamus engaged Millie in conversation, obviously flirty by their body language, and Millie laughed, her cheeks still tinged red with embarrassment. Seamus picked up on this and touched her cheek, causing her to unintentionally lean into his hand. After a couple of minutes, Millie left him and hurried over to Hermione and Ron.

"We're going to go on a date," Millie said, her face red. "He's asked me out."

"That's brilliant, Millie," Hermione was glad her plan had worked just to see the look on Millie's face.

"Thanks,"

At that moment in time the rest of her beloved group came in, all eight of them, and they sat down on the Gryffindor table, the couples sat together, Hermione between Draco and Luna. They had just begun eating when music started to play. Hermione recognised the music and her stomach dropped.

"Oh, dear, Severus isn't going to like this," she said to Draco as Lavender stood up, scantily clad.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Just listen."

"_It's so good being bad_

_There's no way I'm turning back_

_Now the pain is for pleasure,_

_Coz nothing can measure."_

"Masochism," Draco said.

"The song's called S&M," Hermione said.

"Ahh, she's fucked," Draco watched as Lavender danced around. "She can't sing."

"Look at Severus."

Both of them looked at him, noting that his expression was one of fury and his posture was stiff. As the song continued, Severus became more and more angry.

Finally, the song finished and there was a smattering of applause for her. Lavender bowed politely and then left the Hall in order to get ready for her afternoon lessons. Hermione followed her.

"Lavender," Hermione called when they were out of the Great Hall.

"Oh, hi, Hermione," Lavender smiled.

"Look, please listen to me, pull a sicky or something and don't come to Potions," Hermione pleaded.

"Why?" Lavender looked suspicious.

"Lavender, I can't explain, okay?" Lavender looked at Hermione before nodding her consent.

However, Hermione saw Lavender slip into the room, smirking at her as she took her place next to her boyfriend, Terence Higgs. At the same time, Severus entered the classroom and his eyes swept the room as they always did, narrowing visibly when they landed on Lavender.

"Draught of the Living Death," He barked. "Now!"

He waved his wand and the directions scrawled themselves onto the blackboard. In a rush, everyone pulled out their apparatus and quickly started. Hermione could practically do the potion with her eyes shut, and she managed to keep one eye on Severus as she added ingredients, watching in horror as he added boomslang skin to Lavender's potion which caused it to fizz.

"Miss Brown, you have ruined your potion," Severus sneered as he vanished it. "10 points from Gryffindor. Spend the rest of the lesson writing out the theory of this potion and stay behind after class."

Lavender looked dismayed as she carefully packed away her cauldron and pulled out some parchment and a quill. At the end of the lesson, Hermione had placed her perfect potion on the tray on Severus's desk and had talked Harry into lending her the invisibility cloak – she threw it over her when no one was looking. After everyone filed out, Lavender dutifully went up to Severus's desk.

"Sir?"

"What did you do wrong?" He asked, his voice barely containing his anger.

"I don't know, sir," Lavender said, agonised. "I added everything right."

"No, it has nothing to do with your potion," Severus growled as he walked up to her. "It was that song."

"The one at lunchtime?" Lavender was puzzled.

"Yes," Severus said angrily. "You sing that song yet I bet you've never been a sub or a dom."

"What? It's just a song!"

"Maybe it is to you but a lifestyle like that should not be exploited unless you follow the lifestyle yourself. Do you want to follow the lifestyle?"

"I don't know," Lavender stuttered.

"Well, would you be willing to give over complete control to a person?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"Lift your skirt up and bend over my desk," Severus ordered.

"What?" Lavender looked stunned.

"I'm going to show you a little snapshot of S&M," Severus said. "You can't sing that song without the consequences so bend over!"

Much to Hermione's surprise, Lavender obeyed him, raising her skirt as she bent over to reveal a black thong.

"So, you like to be punished, hey?" Severus's voice was seductive, reminding Hermione of how he had spoken to her like that. She felt a stirring in her lower stomach. As she watched, Severus brought his hand down hard on Lavender's ass, creating a loud smack which mingled with her cry.

"Be silent!" H ordered.

For the next few slaps she was silent, even though her ass was becoming more and more red. When he smacked her ass once more he slid his hand downwards and touched her soaking sex.

"You like that then?" Severus growled in her ear.

As she nodded furiously, Hermione was acutely aware of her growing problem, feeling her knickers moisten.

Severus slipped a finger up Lavender and she spread her legs wantonly as he began to finger fuck her. He pushed her underwear down and pressed his erection up against her, causing her to ground up against him. As she watched, Severus took the finger coated in juices out of her and circled her anus with it.

Lavender moaned at the sensation, earning another slap to her ass for disobeying. Hermione moved around for a better voice as Severus's long finger disappeared into Lavender's ass. As soon as it was in he began to move it, reaching underneath her to play with her.

"Let me know when you're close," He ordered, and stepped up his ministrations. Lavender began to writhe and shortly cried out that she was close.

Instantly, Severus stopped, pulling his finger out of her ass and stepped away as he cleaned up.

"Why did you stop?" Lavender asked, looking over her shoulder.

"If you want completion then come see me about being my trainee submissive," Severus said coolly.

"What?" Lavender pulled up her thong and glared angrily at him.

"You are mistaken if you think I'd even agree to that!"

And with that she stormed out, slamming the door shut which Severus locked.

"She'll come back, won't she?" Hermione said as she revealed herself.

"Yes, she will," Severus wasn't surprised at seeing her. "I know ones like that. They act all confident and assertive but they crave being ordered around. So what can I help you with?"

"I stayed behind to see what you would do to her and found myself with a problem," Herminoe said, her tone seductive as she stood in front of Severus. "Care to deal with it?"

"Without Draco?" Severus was surprised.

"You two play together without me, I want to play with just you," Hermione said.

Severus closed the distance between them and kissed her furiously, cupping her ass as he sat her on the desk.

"Hurry, I want you," Hermione urged.

Severus dropped his trousers and boxers and pushed aside her underwear, entering her swiftly. It was hard, fast and vicious. He took her hard, holding her hips tight enough to leave bruises as she scratched him hard enough to draw blood. It was animalistic, both desperate for release. Finally it came, Hermione screaming her release as he followed quickly afterward. Afterwards he collapsed onto her, exhausted by the effort.

"That was the first time we've had sex," Hermione said, out of breath.

"I know," Severus replied. "I guess we really wanted it."

"Definitely," Hermione breathed, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "Erm, Severus, I'm late to my lesson."

"Shit!"

He slowly drew himself out of her, regretting doing so instantly because it meant that he was no longer encased in her. She righted herself quickly, fixing her hair as she picked up her bag and left without a backwards glance.

Severus dropped onto his seat with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair and then punched his desk violently.

_What is it about her? She's eating me up, taking away all logical thought…it was only supposed to be fun…I want her so badly but I want her lying next to me in bed at night…._

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks Hermione found herself back on the end of Severus's silence. Where he had once kissed her, caressed her, held her and had given her intense pleasure, he now barely acknowledged her. Every so often she would smile at him in class and he would ignore her, and she would have to fight down the tears that threatened to spill. Even Draco had no idea what was wrong, although he had been kind enough to try and talk to him about it.<p>

"I don't know what's wrong, baby," Draco held her on the sofa one night. "He's acting so weird around you but perfectly normal with me. Did something happen between you?"

"We did kinda have sex," Hermione admitted.

"Okay, well it's probably not that because he has no issue with no-strings attached sex," Draco mused.

"You're okay with that?" Hermione sat up and stared at him.

"Yeah, of course," Draco laughed. "If I can fuck him then you can!"

"Oh," Hermione sunk back down into his embrace. "Why is he acting so weirdly?"

"I'm not sure," Draco said. "At all, hun, maybe you ought to talk to him?"

"I guess," Hermione sighed.

Hermione stood up from the sofa and stretched, before heading off to her room, her head lowered and her entire body language seemed to scream depressed at Draco. He was staring at the door which she had quietly closed behind her when he came up with a way to cheer her up.

* * *

><p>The very next evening Hermione arrived back in the headquarters and dropped her bag in shock. The room had been rearranged and sitting in a circle in the middle of the room were her friends. They all beamed up at her, and she was secretly delighted to see just how close they all still were. Pansy was practically sat on Blaise's lap and, although Luna and Neville had a respectable distance between them, their hands were woven together tightly.<p>

"Hi, guys?" Hermione said puzzled.

"Hey, hun, I invited everyone up for a bit because I have an idea," Draco patted the space next to him and she took it, looking around at all the happy faces.

"Should I be worried?" Hermione asked, to general laughter.

"Not at all," Draco took her hand before addressing the whole group. "Right, I have a wager. I vote that we do a competition; girls vs boys. Singing contest."

"Are you being serious?" Harry leapt to his feet. "I can't bloody sing!"

"So?" Draco said calmly. "You can dance or play an instrument or something."

"What are the terms of the wager?" Luna spoke up.

"That, I'm not sure on," Draco said. "I thought we could figure it out ourselves."

"The winning group gets to pick what the losing group wear one day of the week," Ginny suggested.

The group groaned at the normality of the suggestion.

"Ginevra, we want something good," Blaise sighed.

"Don't call me Ginevra!" Ginny snapped, her eyes fiery.

"How about, if the boys lose, we go to Malfoy Manor for the Easter holidays and if the girls lose we go to Parkinson Hall?" Teddy suggested. "The losers have to host a party and then clean up afterwards."

"I think that would be agreeable," Pansy said slowly. "I owe Parkinson Hall completely so it's fine by me. Draco?"

"I'm sure my mother will be in France at that time anyway," Draco nodded his head.

"Perfect," Pansy grinned a little evilly.

"Hold on a minute though," Neville cleared his throat. "The girls have to agree to not wear anything revealing so that they won't win on their looks alone."

"That is a point," Teddy said. "The girls in this room are the hottest in the school, save for Lavender, Parvati, Padma and Daphne. If they wear slutty clothes then they're going to get the vote."

"Okay, we won't wear anything slutty," Ginny agreed seemingly passively.

"One week today we're going to do this," Draco said. "One week to get it perfect everyone. Good luck to all!"

Before Draco had even finished speaking the girls had rushed into Hermione's room, slammed the door shut and silenced it so that the boys wouldn't be able to hear them speaking. The boys shrugged their shoulders and went into Draco's room to begin planning.

"Ginny, you agreed way too easily there, what have you got up your sleeve?" Hermione turned on her instantly.

"I agreed for us to not wear slutty clothes, so skinny jeans, biker heels and some sort of top for each of us would suffice," Ginny said, picking at her nails. "We can still look sexy, trust me on that."

"What about a song?" Luna asked.

"I have the absolute perfect song for us," Millie spoke up. "Kinda about girl power and getting over someone who's upset you. It's called Fighter by Christina Aguilera?"

"Actually, that is the perfect song," Hermione said thoughtfully. "We need to divide the song up into subsections and figure out who's singing what."

"I think you should sing most of it," Ginny said to Hermione.

"I disagree," Luna said. "No offence, Hermione, but this song is a lot about anger and your voice is very sexy but is more the seductive side of sexy so this wouldn't work for you. You know how Christina Aguilera often does her little 'oohoohooh' bits? Well, you should do that because you have a powerful voice."

"I'm with you on that, Luna," Hermione looked at the others. "I think Pansy and Ginny should take the main bits to be honest. Luna, you should sing the softer bit, the third verse and Millie you can take the other bits. Is that okay with everyone?"

"Yeah, brilliant," Millie beamed. "I don't like performing in front of people so the less I sing by myself the better!"

"Does everyone know the song?" Hermione asked. Millie shook her head. "Pansy, you need to teach Millie it so that she can sing it too."

On the other side of the living room, in the other bedroom, the boys were calmly discussing what song to sing. Their planning was less structured and less focussed than the girls, which was highlighted when Harry stared out the window and commented that it was perfect flying weather. Ron quickly smacked him on the back on the head for that and returned the focus on the important subject at hand.

"So what song?" Blaise sighed.

"I have an idea for one," Draco looked up. "It's an emo song but it's quite cheery – well, at least the tune is, and, Blaise, your talent can be shown off."

"Really?" Blaise suddenly seemed more interested. "What song?"

"Ohio is for Lovers – Hawthorne Heights," Draco said slowly.

"Awesome!" Neville cheered. "I love that song."

"You know it?" Blaise was stunned.

"Of course," Neville beamed. "My second cousin is the roadie for the band."

"Wow, that's amazing," Draco looked at Neville in a new light.

"I've never heard of it," Harry said, and Ron shook his head in agreement at that.

"Well, we'll get together tomorrow and play it," Draco suggested. "Who's going to be the singer?"

"You," Blaise said instantly. "Come on, Draco, you're a brilliant singer."

"Lead guitar?"

"Teddy."

"Bass?"

"Ron."

"Drums?"

"Harry."

"Oh, great, what can I do then?"

"Neville, you're the other guitar player," Draco said.

"But I can't play," Neville said, his brow furrowed.

"That's what the memorisation charm is for," He grinned.

"Oh, I guess," Neville smiled once more. "You know what? We're going to kick ass."

* * *

><p>One week later he wasn't quite so sure. They were up in less than two minutes and he couldn't stop himself from sweating and his heart from thudding rapidly and loudly. It was his first time performing, and although he didn't have too much to do, it didn't stop him from worrying. He smiled though as he thought of Blaise, their secret weapon. The girls wouldn't know what hit them.<p>

"Okay, boys and girls," Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall quietened. "I know that we don't normally have performances at dinner time, but this one is special. It is a competition between two groups and after both have performed you get to choose which was better. Our first group is up now."

The boys stood up at the front of the Hall and claimed their spaces, the instruments being levitated out and positioned carefully. Draco purposefully ignored the girls who were sat right in front of him as he took his space.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," Draco said, his voice magically amplified so everyone could hear him. "We are going to be singing a song called Ohio is for Lovers by a band called Hawthorne Heights. Thank you."

The band began to play and Draco took a deep breath before singing:

_Hey there,  
>I know it's hard to feel like I don't care at all.<br>Where you are and how you feel.  
>With these lights off as these wheels<br>keep rolling on and on. _

Nott echoed his words, 'and on and on and on.'

_Slow things down or speed them up.  
>Not enough or way too much. (and on and on and on...)<br>How are you when I'm gone?_

Suddenly the beat picked up a little more and, as Draco had said, the tune was cheerful even if the words he was singing weren't.

_And I can't make it on my own!_

Blaise joined in, his talent as a screamer shocked the school, especially the girls.

_Because my heart is in Ohio.  
>So cut my wrists and black my eyes.<em>

Blaise screamed the words again – "Cut my wrists and black my eyes."

_So I can fall asleep tonight, or die.  
>Because you kill me.<br>You know you do, you kill me well.  
>You like it too, and I can tell.<br>You never stop until my final breath is gone._

Hermione was mouthing the words along with Draco, the song he had chosen just so happened to be one of her favourite songs. In fact, she was one of the first to get up and dance, cheering on the boys as Draco sang the next part.

_Spare me just three last words.  
>"I love you" is all she heard.<br>I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever_

She knew that the next part was screamo, and she listened intently to see if Blaise truly did have talent or not.

_Spare me just three last words.  
>"I love you" is all she heard.<br>I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever._

To her immense surprise he did have the talent for it, and it was effortless to him. Pansy was looking up at him with shock and adoration in her eyes.

_And I can't make it on my own.  
>(And I can't make it on my own.)<br>Because my heart is in Ohio.  
>So cut my wrists and black my eyes.<br>(Cut my wrists and black my eyes)  
>So I can fall asleep tonight, or die.<br>Because you kill me.  
>You know you do, you kill me well.<br>You like it too, and I can tell.  
>You never stop until my final breath is gone.<em>

Blaise carried off the next part with no problem whatsoever, whilst Draco's smooth voice sang the words perfectly. Hermione closed her eyes to listen, and began to think that the girls were in trouble with their song.

_(YOU...KILL...ME...WELL)  
>You know you do, you kill me well.<br>You like it too, and I can tell.  
>You never stop until my final breath is gone.<em>

(YOU...KILL...ME...WELL)  
>So cut my wrists and black my eyes.<br>My final breath is gone  
>So I can fall asleep tonight<p>

And I can't make it on my own.  
>(And I can't make it on my own.)<br>Because my heart is in Ohio.  
>So cut my wrists and black my eyes.<br>(Cut my wrists and black my eyes)  
>So I can fall asleep tonight, or die.<br>Because you kill me.  
>You know you do, you kill me well.<br>You like it too, and I can tell.  
>You never stop until my final breath is gone.<p>

(YOU...KILL...ME...WELL)  
>You know you do, you kill me well.<br>You like it too, and I can tell.  
>You never stop until my final breath is gone.<p>

Hermione cheered, clapping her hands loudly as the song finished, a beam on her face as she looked at her friends. Luna kissed Neville and they practically had to drag Pansy off Blaise, who then sat down looking distinctly ruffled.

"Okay, now for the second group," Dumbledore announced them.

They took their places once the instruments from the boys' performance had gone and Hermione saw Draco looking at her oddly. She expected it was the outfit – she had taken a leaf out of Christina Aguilera's book and had ordered the girls to wear long black cloaks which covered them completely.

Pansy began, speaking the words softly.

_After all you put me through, you think I'd despise you_

_But in the end, I wanna thank you, coz you made me that much stronger._

All the girls threw off their cloaks at that moment to reveal tight black skinny jeans, heeled biker boots and either shirts which were tied to show off their midriff or a plain white strappy top which just enhanced their assets. They had kept their word…

Ginny took centre stage, singing the words a little harshly to empathise the meaning of them. She strutted around whilst the other four girls danced slowly in the background.

_When I thought I knew you_

_Thinking that you were true_

_I guess I couldn't trust cause your bluff time is up coz I've had enough_

_You were, there by my side, always down for the ride_

_But your joy ride just came down in flames _

_Coz your greed sold me out of shame, mmhmm_

_After all of the stealing and cheating _

_You probably think that I hold resentment for you_

_But, uh uh, oh no, you're wrong_

_Couse if it wasn't for all that you tried to do_

_I wouldn't know just how capable I am to pull through_

_So I wanna say thank you_

The girls had walked forward so that they were side-by-side in a line by this point and they all sang together, their practice making their voices mingle together perfectly – they sang as one.

_Cause it makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_Makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Oh, ooh_

It was Pansy's time to sing now, and she poured out of the anger that she had inside her from the suffering she had had to deal with throughout her life. She glanced at Blaise before she sang, and he nodded gently to her and smiled.

_Never saw it coming_

_All of your backstabbing_

_Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I realised your game_

_I heard you're going around playing the victim now_

_But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame coz you dug your own grave, uh huh_

_After all the fights and the lies_

_Yes you wanted to harm me but that won't work anymore_

_Uh, no more, oh no, it's over_

_Coz if it wasn't for all of your torture I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down_

_So I wanna say thank you_

They all sang the chorus again.

_Cause it makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_Makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Oh, ooh_

Luna stepped up at that point, her soft voice the perfect contrast the previous harshness of the song.

_How could this man I thought I knew_

_Turn out to be unjust so cruel_

_Could only see the good in you_

_Pretend not to know the truth_

Millie joined her, her voice a little rougher than the gentle tone of Luna's.

_You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself_

_Through living in denial but in the end you'll see_

_You won't stop me!_

Hermione took control then, the climax of the song resting on her shoulders.

_I am a fighter and I_

_Ain't gonna stop_

_There is no turning back_

_I've had enough_

_You thought I would forget_

_But I remembered_

_Coz I remembered_

_I remembered_

_You thought I would forget_

_I remembered_

_Coz I remembered_

_I remembered_

They joined in with her for the finale, singing the chorus once more, louder and with more conviction than before, simply standing there, trusting their voices to lead them to victory.

_Cause it makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_Makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Oh, ooh_

The music finished and Hermione breathed a little freer, out of breath from the singing. She turned to the girls who all looked a little exhausted but happy and they had a massive group hug before Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat.

"Well, you may cast your votes now on the pieces of paper before you," Dumbledore said. "Put a cross on for group 1 and a circle for group 2."

As the students marked down their answers the parchment flew from their places and landed on two respective piles which kept a tally as all the votes came in.

"Wow, we have a draw," Dumbledore was surprised. "Well, I guess we have a sing off then! Each group please nominate one person to come and sing a song. Whoever wins this wins the competition."

Hermione found herself being herded up towards Dumbledore and she had enough time to throw an evil glare back at the girls. She was stood opposite Draco, who had obviously be chosen against his will as well.

"Mr Malfoy, you will go first," Dumbledore sat back down.

Draco thought for a moment before waving his wand, causing music to start up. Hermione recognised it instantly and a hint of a smile crossed her face – she had always thought that the music to this song was the perfect make-out music. Points of Authority indeed.

_You love the way I look at you_  
><em>While taking pleasure in the awful things you put me through<em>  
><em>You take away if I give in<em>  
><em>My life<em>  
><em>My pride is broken<em>

_You like to think you're never wrong_  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You have to act like you're someone<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want someone to hurt like you<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want to share what you've been through<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>

_You love the things I say I'll do_  
><em>The way I'll hurt myself again just to get back at you<em>  
><em>You take away when I give in  my life_  
><em>My pride is broken<em>

_You like to think you're never wrong_  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want to act like you're someone<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want someone to hurt like you<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want to share what you've been through<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>

_Forfeit the game / Before somebody else_  
><em>Takes you out of the frame  Puts your name to shame_  
><em>Cover up your face  You can't run the race_  
><em>The pace is too fast  You just won't last_

_You like to think you're never wrong_  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want to act like you're someone<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want someone to hurt like you<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>  
><em>You want to share what you've been through<em>  
><em>(You live what you've learned)<em>

Although he did cut the song a little short, he managed to do so with style so that anyone who didn't know the song well wouldn't have realised. Hermione had been transfixed through his song, listening to his voice trail over her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt as she thought of his voice whispering other things to her.

"Thank you very much, Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione knew what song she wanted to sing – it had been a song she was planning on singing at some point anyway. It was very suitable for her to sing, especially given the circumstances. She waved her wand and heard the music start up. The Great Hall fell silent and watched her as she began to sing a truly beautiful yet horrendous song.

_White lips, pale face, breathing in snowflakes._

_Burnt lungs, sour taste._

_Light's gone, day's end, struggling to pay rent_

_Long nights, strange men,_

_And they say,_

_She's in the Class A Team_

_Stuck in her daydream_

_Been this way since 18_

_But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting_

_Crumbling like pastries_

_And they scream_

_The worst things in life come free to us_

_Coz we're just under the upperhand_

_And go mad for a couple of grams_

_And she don't want to go outside_

_And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland_

_Or sells love to another man_

_It's too cold outside_

_For angels to fly_

_Angels to fly_

_Ripped gloves, raincoat, dry house, wet clothes_

_Loose change, bank notes, weary-eyed, dry throat_

_Call girl, no phone_

_And they say,__  
><em>

_She's in the Class A Team_

_Stuck in her daydream_

_Been this way since 18_

_But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting_

_Crumbling like pastries_

_And they scream_

_The worst things in life come free to us_

_Coz we're just under the upperhand_

_And go mad for a couple of grams_

_And she don't want to go outside_

_And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland_

_Or sells love to another man_

_It's too cold outside_

_For angels to fly_

_An angel will die, covered in white_

_Closed eye, and hoping for a better life_

_This time, we'll fade out tonight_

_Straight down the line_

_And they say,_

_She's in the Class A Team_

_Stuck in her daydream_

_Been this way since 18_

_But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting_

_Crumbling like pastries_

_And they scream_

_The worst things in life come free to us_

_Coz we're just under the upperhand_

_And go mad for a couple of grams_

_And she don't want to go outside_

_And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland_

_Or sells love to another man_

_It's too cold outside_

_For angels to fly_

_Angels to fly_

_To fly, to fly,_

_Angels to fly,_

_To fly, to fly,_

_For angels to die._

Her voice, which had remained steady and soft throughout the entire song broke on the last words and a single tear slid from under her closed eyelids. Draco was by her side, holding her softly, whispering gentle, soothing words in her ear as she fought the urge to cry.

"Right, well," It appeared even Dumbledore had been a little affected by Hermione's lament, for his eyes seemed a little red. "It's time for you to vote again."

It came as little surprise when Hermione's pile built up dramatically compared to his. He took a glance around the Hall and saw many people either crying or fighting back tears.

"Group 2 win," Dumbledore announced. "Congratulations, Hermione."

Draco led her away from the Great Hall, Dumbledore allowing them to leave by the Staff entrance to avoid too much of a scene. All Draco did was take her back up to her room, where she finally broke down crying, hugging her pillow tightly as she cried silently, tears quickly soaking up the bed. He went into the kitchen to make her a hot chocolate but by the time he came back she was asleep, curled in a little ball as if scared of being hurt. He shifted her over and climbed in beside her, resting his arm by her in case she needed him.

It was only after her face smoothed out and the tears stopped falling that Draco allowed himself to relax enough to succumb to sleep.


	13. Chapter 12

wow thank you for the reviews :) it encourages us to continue writing (in fact, this story is almost finished, only 1 chapter and the epilogue left to write - there's 23 chapters total. If our favourite reviewers could continue to review it would be much appreciated. Ten reviews for this chapter pretty please?

Finch98 - Draco sang 'Points of Authority' by Linkin Park and Hermione sang 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran.

If anyone needs any other song titles please, let us know and we will put them up at the beginning of the next chapter :)

as for drunkpikachu3, we will try and fit in All Time Low's one at some point - we can't promise it will be in time for your birthday but we shall do it :) happy birthday :)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Hermione was lingering outside Severus's door, fighting the internal battle of deciding whether or not to open herself up to potential ridicule. Every couple of minutes she went to walk back up to her room but then turned back around, raising her fist to knock on the door then hesitating. She placed her ear to the door to try and hear something and all she heard was a repetitive smacking sound and then it stopped. She barely managed to conceal herself in an alcove when the door opened, revealing Lavender.

"What are you supposed to do?" Severus's voice echoed in the corridor.

"Bring myself almost to the brink three times this week then deny myself the orgasm," Lavender said, her tone light. "And I'm not allowed to kiss and be intimate with another person."

"Good girl," Severus said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, sir," Lavender curtseyed before sashaying up the corridor and out of sight.

"Are you going to come in, Hermione? Or are you going to pace the corridor a bit more?"

"I'll come in, sir," she stuttered, stepping into the light and then following him through the doorway. She stood awkwardly in the room until Severus offered her a seat. "Sir, why have you been ignoring me?"

"Why are you calling me sir?" Severus asked.

"Because I don't know where I stand with you," Hermione's tone was angry. "You wanted me, then you offered me support when I was in trouble and then as soon as we have sex you start ignoring me!"

"I haven't ignored you!" Severus said astonished.

"Yes, you have!" Hermione's eyes filled with tears.

Severus felt an ache deep in his chest as he saw the state that Hermione was in and he felt his heart beg him to help her, to save her from the pain.

"I know I've been a little bit strange recently, Hermione," Severus began. "I've been trying to train Lavender up and I've just been strained."

"But you've been fine with Draco," Hermione argued. "So it's not that at all!"

"The sex scared me," Severus told a half-truth. "It was strange for me to want someone so badly."

"It's natural, Severus, but it's not natural to push away someone who cares about you deeply," a single tear slid down her cheek. "I love you, Severus, because you are kind and you're so nice to me."

"You love me?" Severus repeated, his heart both heavy and light at the same time. "What about Draco?"

"I will admit that I love him more," Hermione said. "But I'm happy when I think about you and I get upset when I think that you're mad at me. So will you please tell me what's wrong?"

"I care about you," he said almost inaudibly, but Hermione's sharp ears caught it.

"You care about me?" Hermione repeated, a little astonished.

"Yes, I care about you!" Severus snapped, annoyed at himself for feeling this way.

"Why are you angry about it?" Hermione gently took his hand.

"Because you're a student!" _Because you're beautiful and I'm ugly, because you're light and I'm dark, because I can't have you…_

"Oh, Severus, if you even gave a damn about that then you wouldn't have started this whole thing up in the first place!" She was angry now, her eyes fiery and her hair seemed to crackle under his gaze.

"Hermione, every single person I've loved has hurt me, why would you be any different?"

"Because I love you back! Because I'm not Lily and I'm not Draco! I care about how you feel and I don't come down here for sex and idle chit-chat – I come down here so I can fucking be with you, you fucking idiot," Hermione breathed heavy now, unable to control the outburst.

"You just swore at me, Hermione, and not in a way that I like," his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh, fuck off, Snape." The use of his last name was deliberate and it did not escape him. The more upset she got, the angrier he got at having to put her through it.

"Guys, chill out a little!" Draco stepped through the door to find his two lovers inches apart, ready to hex each other into oblivion. "Lovers' tiff much?"

"Snape here is afraid to admit his feelings," Hermione glared at him.

"He has always been afraid to admit his feelings, Hermione, it's something about him that I don't particularly like," Draco sighed. "You have to look past it."

"I can't deal with this anymore!"

She threw up her hands in defeat and went to leave, but Draco blocked her way, fully intending for her to remain until the situation was defused. However, what happened next was not expected. Her beautiful chocolate eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed. Draco barely managed to catch her in time.

"What the fuck just happened?" Draco exclaimed, looking at the limp girl in his arms.

"I'm not sure," Severus said, waving his wand over her to check her vitals. "She seems okay. _Enervate!"_

The spell didn't work. They both looked at her in surprise before worry took over them both. Draco picked her up swiftly and Severus led the way up to Hospital Wing. Both were worried, so much so that Madam Pomfrey instantly attended to her, fussing over her as she urged the gentlemen to step back and allow her some 'breathing space'. They obliged at first, but slowly crept forward again to look at the unconscious girl, concerned about her apparent lack of life. Eventually Madam Pomfrey had to charm the curtains closed so that she had a barrier to prevent them from advancing onto her again.

The minutes trickled past achingly slowly. They were desperate for news but neither wanted to voice their thoughts for fear of seeming weak. Severus paced the Hospital Wing, counting his steps from one side to the other whilst Draco sunk himself into a chair and put his head in his hands. When Madam Pomfrey finally emerged she found her personal space being invaded.

"Excuse me, could you give me a little room?" She said indignantly. It was only after they took a couple of steps back that she continued. "Miss Granger is suffering from emotional exhaustion."

"Emotional what?" Draco simply looked confused.

"Emotional exhaustion," Madam Pomfrey repeated. "It is when a series of circumstances drain energy to the state where the body shuts itself down to protect itself. However, in Miss Granger's case it is significantly worse. Do either of you know if she has been taking on more work recently?"

"Well, after the Christmas holidays she threw herself into her work in order to forget everything else," Draco said hesitantly.

"I see," Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "Well, her magical store has been drastically depleted too. By forgetting the death of her father she has simply stored the heartache and the pain away which sapped at her subconscious until she collapsed."

"Will she recover?" Severus asked, aware that Poppy was giving him some odd looks for caring about Hermione.

"She should do," Madam Pomfrey sighed. "But I have no idea how long it will be. She could be in a coma for a couple of hours or a couple of months."

"A coma?" Draco cried.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy, a coma," She said firmly. "It's how the body copes. Now, if you will excuse me, I must inform St Mungo's and the headmaster."

As she wandered off back into her office to make the necessary floo calls, Draco stared at Severus, desperation in his eyes.

"Severus, what are we going to do?" Draco begged him for an answer. "I can't lose her, I love her too much."

"I know, Draco, I feel the same way about her," Severus closed his eyes, suddenly weary.

"You're joking, right?" Draco was stunned. "You don't love people, Severus, you fuck people."

"Yeah well, I love her," Severus admitted. "I don't know what it is about her. I barely even know her! I don't know what her favourite food is or her favourite colour but I know who is she and she's imprinted on my soul."

Whatever Draco was about to say (and it looked to be something quite threatening) was interrupted by the arrival of the headmaster, who glared angrily at them both.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked.

"She just collapsed," Draco said.

"Where?"

"In my quarters," Severus replied stiffly, knowing what was coming next.

"Why was she there?" Dumbledore demanded.

"She was coming to ask me about our relationship," Severus said.

"What relationship? You can't seriously mean that the student that you've been copulating with is none other than Hermione?"

"What's so absurd about that, Albus?" Severus snapped angrily. "Is it because she's so precious and pure?"

"Exactly!" Albus exclaimed, unable to hide his disgust. "She would be much better suited to someone like Ron, who had been conditioned to be with her since the start of Hogwarts."

"Albus, don't tell me you've been messing around with people's relationships again!" Severus was truly mad now. "You do that all the fucking time. You think it's okay to pick who goes with whom without a second glance at what they actually feel!"

"Severus, if this is about Lily," Albus sighed.

"Lily! Lily loved me, you piece of shit," Severus yelled, causing Madam Pomfrey to come bustling out of her office. She stopped dead when she saw who he was shouting at. "She loved me until you made sure that I slipped up and she was there. She actually loved me and then you went and told Potter exactly how to get her and she was snatched away from me! Well, this time it's not going to happen."

"We'll see what Molly says about this," Albus said a little smugly.

Draco laughed hard for a moment, but refused to reveal why as Molly answered her summons. She hurried into the hospital wing, her fiery hair flowing about her as she patted her hands on the apron she was wearing, causing flour to fly up around her.

"What's wrong, Albus?" She asked instantly, analysing who was there and swiftly drawing her own conclusions.

"It appears that Hermione has been having sexual relations with Severus," Albus said.

"Don't forget me as well," Draco piped up. "She's my girlfriend, first and foremost."

Madam Pomfrey looked as if she were going to faint whilst Molly took all this in her stride.

"Yes, and?"

"Don't you have an issue with this? Hermione was supposed to be with Ron in the end," Albus was bemused by her carefree attitude.

"Good gracious no," It was Molly's turn to laugh now, although she chose to reveal the reason. "Ron's gay."

"What?" Three voices chimed out.

"Yeah, he's bent and dating Teddy Nott," Draco said, fighting to keep the laughter at bay.

"Has Teddy asked him out yet?" Molly asked.

"Yes, at the beginning of term," Draco replied.

"Oh, that's brilliant," Molly beamed. "I had Teddy round for Christmas and he was a lovely boy. I'm glad."

"Do you not have a problem with someone who is practically your daughter engaging in questionable activities with two Slytherins, one of whom is her teacher?" Albus pressed for a negative response from Molly.

"Not particularly," Molly answered. "You, of all people, should know that Severus is, in fact, a kind man and deserves a bit of happiness in his life and poor Draco here is always being compared to his father. I think they're all perfectly suited, Albus, because she cancels out their bad sides and they stop her from being too regulated."

"But two of them?" Madam Pomfrey asked, a little green.

"Oh, Poppy, grow up a little," Molly sighed. "It's normal. Arthur and I had Remus as our third and the Potters had Sirius."

Severus looked positively sick at that thought.

"Anyway, I'm in the middle of baking," Molly said. "Severus, Draco, you are more than welcome to pop round any time at all. Poppy, open your mind a little, it's actually quite fun. Albus, you do anything to split them up and you will have me, my husband, my children and, I expect, quite a few Slytherins to answer to. Goodbye."

She stalked out of the room and it was almost a minute later when Madam Pomfrey finally found her voice again.

"Albus, they're going to take her to St Mungo's and keep her there," She said quietly. "It's easier on everyone that way."

"You can't do that!" Draco cried out. "I have to see her!"

"We can arrange for you to use my floo here so you can go and see her on certain days," Madam Pomfrey said kindly. "However, it will be for a limited amount of time and you will have to accompanied by a teacher."

"I'll do it," Severus volunteered.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Madam Pomfrey said slowly.

"I'm going to do it," Severus looked at Dumbledore who finally grudgingly agreed.

"They'll be here in about an hour but you should go back to your dorm, Mister Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey said. "It's almost curfew."

"Let him stay until she leaves and then I'll escort him back to his quarters," Severus said.

Dumbledore left without another word and Madam Pomfrey went back into her office, allowing Draco and Severus to spend a little bit of time with Hermione before the mediwizards arrived to pick her up. As Severus walked Draco back to the headquarters, he became painfully aware that the blond was crying.

"Draco, are you okay?" Severus asked, his voice soft.

"I kept thinking of the worst," Draco cried out, tears streaming down his face. "I can't help it, it's hurting so bad."

"I know, believe me, I know," Severus hugged the boy, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape.

Severus Snape never cried.

As they reached the headquarters, Draco was dismayed to see a familiar redhead outside the portrait, hopping from foot to foot in her desperation to find out information.

"Weasley, stop jumping around!" Severus ordered.

She stopped but completely ignored him as she went up to Draco and shook him violently, ignorant of Draco's sobs.

"What did you do to her, you asshole?" She hissed, finally displaying that infamous Weasley temper.

In the few seconds before Severus stepped in, he admired the youngest Weasley, taking note of the way she seemed to shine with raw beauty when she was truly ticked off. It was no surprise that a good many Slytherins secretly harboured a hard-on for the girl. He bet she was a complete wildcat in the sack.

"Weasley, remove your hands from the head boy before I put you in detention," Severus said calmly.

Ginny seemed to realise that she was physically assaulting Draco Malfoy in front of the Head of Slytherin and she had the decency to look abashed as she let go of him and stepped back.

"Sir, he's gone and hurt her badly," Ginny cried out, balling her hands into fists.

"How is it my fault?" Draco exclaimed, rubbing his chest where she had grabbed him.

"I've been spending the last few weeks researching that bloody Malfoy bond," Ginny gesticulated with her hands, her hair flying loose around her face. "Dad's been helping me, using the Ministry public files to find out for me. A lot of it I found out from the library actually."

"You spend time in the library?" Draco blurted, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

"Yes, Malfoy, I do," Ginny's eyes narrowed. "I am actually clever, like most of my family, but I chose to dedicate my mind to my studies rather than dragons, jokes and French! Now, anyway, are you aware of the fact that Hermione is bonded to you completely?"

"Of course I am!" Draco snapped. "I'm not stupid."

"I think you must be because it means she's completely bonded to you and not allowed to love another," Ginny said, before turning to Severus. "I'm guessing she told you she loves you?"

"You know about it all?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I fucking know!" Ginny rubbed a hand over her face in frustration before continuing. "She's my best friend and I'm her confidante. Anyway, did she tell you?"

"Yes, she did," Severus answered.

"Well, there you go then," Ginny's knees gave out on her and she fell to the floor. "She sealed her own fate. When she admitted she loved you the magic bond between the two of you activated and now she's dying."

Ginny looked up at them, her eyes glittering with water.

"You killed her when you suggested this threesome," Ginny said accusingly, even though her voice was flat. "Anyone who knows her will know that she cares for anyone and anything, especially lost causes. I knew this would fucking happen but I only found out about it earlier."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Draco roared, his anger bubbling to the surface.

"Because, you absolute cock, I was on my way here to tell her when I found out from my own Mother that she had just had an odd conversation with Dumbledore in the Hospital Wing and Hermione was in one of the beds."

"Ginny, how can you wake her up?" Severus asked softly, using her first name for the first time in his life.

"She'll wake up in her own time," Ginny answered. "This is just a warning, like a precaution. But if she continues to admit she loves you, Severus, she will die."

Her words sent a sharp icicle through his heart. He staggered a little bit, trying to stay strong in front of them. What was he to do? How could he get her to stop loving him? How?

"I'm sorry, sir," Ginny managed to steady herself on her feet. "But it's the truth. It should never have happened."

"No, it shouldn't have," Severus said, his voice strong. "It was wrong to start off with."

He looked at Draco and completely ignored the girl next to him. He took in his looks, the desperation in his eyes, the small furrow on his forehead. He carefully memorised every part of Draco's face, much like he had memorised every part of Draco's body throughout the training.

"Severus, what are you going to do?" Draco said, his voice urgent.

"I'll see you around," Severus said, walking away from them.

"Severus!" Draco tried to run after him but Severus put him in a full-body bind.

By time Ginny had freed him, Severus was gone.

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><p><strong>AN **oh dear...what is he going to do?

Next chapter is short so will be up soon as long as we continue to get reviews :)


	14. Chapter 13

Said it would be up soon :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

"Severus!"

Draco's pained cry still rang through his head, repeating over and over as Severus ran through the corridors. He disillusioned himself as he ran, so that no one could see the anguish on his face as he reached his quarters.

"Open," Severus ordered the Jester.

"How about a please once in a while?" The Jester said indignantly.

"How about you just fucking open!" Severus shouted.

Although the Jester couldn't see Severus, he recognised the distress in his voice. He hadn't heard that pain since he had come back from one of the Revels, sweating, covered in blood and muttering under his breath.

Once inside, he threw several items in a small holdall, which he magically enlarged the interior of so that he could carry more. As his most prized possessions were put into the bag, he marvelled at how little his life was actually worth. He had done nothing of value in his lifetime, and he had nothing to show for almost forty years on the Earth. When he was a teenager he'd imagined that by forty he would have three kids with beautiful red hair and his dark eyes, but nothing he had prophesised had come true.

Who was he really? He had been called a murderer, a rapist, a hero. Conflicting? Of course, but then again what in life isn't conflicting? In his lifetime he had seen two comings of the Darkest Wizard of all time and then finally the undoing of the half-man, half-snake. He took solace in the fact that his actions had allowed the Order to gain vital information about the Death Eaters' movements, but wallowed in despair at the thought of what he had had to do in the line of duty.

He went over to his cabinet and pulled out an empty vial. He shifted through his memories and poured a select few into the container. Then, concentrating very hard, he created a false memory, a memory of a dream and transferred it to the vial. He corked it, and then looked at it, knowing that his relationship with Hermione would be over after this.

He shifted the holdall onto his back before heading out of his room. He passed Blaise Zabini on his way out and recalled that he was now a friend of Hermione's. He revealed himself and stopped the boy.

"Zabini, when Hermione wakes up give this to her," he said urgently, thrusting the flask into his hands.

"Sir?" Blaise was shocked to see his professor in such a state.

"Just do it, Blaise!" Severus forced him to take it. "The flask has been charmed to only open for Hermione so don't even bother."

"I won't," Blaise finally took the flask. "Where are you going?"

"Away," Severus answered shortly, before taking off, leaving a very confused Slytherin behind.

He was in Hogsmeade. He crept down a dark alley, unaware that someone was tailing him.

Lavender had seen him from the fourth floor window and had flung on her robe and her shoes, the feeling of terror coursing through her blood as she trailed her master. She hid at the entrance to the alley, unable to see down it because of the darkness, but afraid to go down it in case her master was angry. What happened next was so unexpected that her heart stopped.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Her Master said the words, and there was a green flash.

Lavender cried out and, forgetting to worry about her retribution if he deemed her disobedient, she ran down the alley, lighting her wand along the way. She stopped short when she saw a body on the ground, and when she gently nudged it over to see its face she screamed.

Lying on the floor dead was none other than Severus Snape.

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><p>*ducks* :


	15. Chapter 14

Another chapter. We were happy about the response so decided to reward you with another keep it up please!

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

Severus's funeral was a quiet affair, with only a few people turning up. The entire family, as Hermione had lovingly dubbed her group of friends before she had succumbed to the bond's curse, took the time off school to attend the ceremony, held on Hogwarts' grounds. The only other people to have bothered to turn up were Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Narcissa Malfoy.

As Draco stood amongst those he counted dearest, he became acutely aware of how little people cared about Severus Snape. He had been a wondrous, caring man, but no one had ever seen that side of him because no one had given him the time of day. Even the rest of the Slytherin house had ignored the invitation to his funeral, though for what reason, Draco truly did not know. Pansy was stood between him and Blaise, holding both of their hands, Draco's to support him, and Blaise's to support her. Ginny had taken his hand on the other side, a soft smile crossing her face when he had glanced at her in shock at feeling her small, warm hand slip into his.

It felt odd to him that out of everyone that was gathered there today, only two other people had been aware of his close, personal relationship with the snarky Potions Professor, and one of them was staring at him intently over his trademark half-moon glasses. For some reason, Draco felt a shiver fall down his spine, and as the small raft which contained Severus's wooden coffin was pushed off into the Great Lake, he felt an overwhelming urge that the whole situation was wrong.

Ginny felt him stiffen and let go of Harry's hand so she could pull him into a hug. Over her head, he saw the light craft catch alight, and watched as the only man he ever loved burnt, the tendrils of smoke curled up into the air and signified just how little and insignificant life was. It could be extinguished by anyone's hand, and by any tool.

It seemed ironic that the man had battled through two wizarding wars, come out of them healthy (well, physically at least) and then had killed himself. Draco couldn't cry, hadn't done since finding out. It was as if someone was playing a cruel trick on him, squeezing his insides until he couldn't breathe and removing the one way to let the pain out.

As the fire burnt out, Draco held Ginny tighter, thankful of the compassion she was pouring into her hug. However, he couldn't help but feel upset, not just for himself but also for Hermione, who had now been in St. Mungo's for two weeks and wasn't even aware of the events to have passed since her being comatosed.

After the ceremony was over and everyone began to trudge back up to the castle, Dumbledore detached himself from the en masse and took up the space next to Draco.

"Draco, I'm sorry for your loss," Dumbledore said quietly. "I hope that you will be okay and if you ever need someone to talk to you can always come see me, or Poppy and if it comes to it we will be able to send you to a professional."

"Sir, with all due respect, I need to focus on getting Hermione back to health," Draco said, barely able to keep from snapping.

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore sighed. "It's foolish for Severus to have wasted his life away how he did. And for such a silly reason."

"Professor," Harry stopped Draco from exploding at the headmaster. "You always preach that love heals all, but in this case, it really doesn't. For you to claim that Snape's death was foolish was completely absurd. How can you condemn his actions when you cannot understand what led him to do such a thing?"

"Harry, there is always another way."

"No, there isn't, Professor," Harry raised his voice, causing others to stare at him. "It's not always black and white, there's not always two solutions and sometimes the decisions we make have to carry through."

"Harry, calm down, you are making a scene," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Snape loved Hermione, and the only way to save her was what he did," Harry said, dropping his voice so he could keep it a secret. "I would have done the same for Ginny and anyone who has been in love can tell you that they would do something similar just to see that person live."

Dumbledore glanced at them both before realising that he was defeated and then nodded to them both and left.

"I'm sorry about that," Harry said in a low voice. "He can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. Believe me, I know."

"How did you know about Severus and Hermione?" Draco asked.

"I kinda guessed at the truth and then Ginny told me," Harry admitted. "Look, I'm sorry about everything and if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I know we were enemies for years but I think we can put that all aside. I mean, you're one of my closest friends now."

"Thanks, Harry," Draco was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

Harry, recognising Draco's distress, simply stood aside and let him hurry off into the castle, no doubt to find a little hidey-hole and cry himself into oblivion.

* * *

><p>Hermione was still out like a light; her unconscious body was lying in a room at St Mungo's hospital. During her time out, she had been visited by several people, and every evening, at six o'clock on the dot, Draco would traipse through the door and sit down by her bedside, taking hold of her hand and chatting away to her for exactly an hour, before reluctantly leaving.<p>

But she didn't see any of this.

She didn't see any of the nurses who made their rounds regularly and made sure that they popped their head round the door to have a look at her, partially to check up on her, but mostly to marvel at the female third of the Golden Trio.

This also meant that Hermione didn't see when a dark figure slipped into her room, waved their wand over her in a complex matter and muttered a long chain of words. When her body emitted a bright blue glow, the figure smirked beneath his hood and then left.

Twenty minutes later Hermione woke up screaming.

* * *

><p>Within the day she was back in her quarters. Draco was, of course, trying to wait on her hand and foot but she wasn't having any of it. However, by time the evening came, Draco was aware that he would have to deliver the crippling news.<p>

When he was about to enter her room to tell her, there was a knock at the portrait. Draco opened it to find Blaise stood outside, clearly anxious.

"Draco, have you told her yet?" Blaise asked as he entered the living room.

"I'm just about to," Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, a worried look on his face.

"Let me do it," Blaise suggested. "I have something that Snape gave to me to give to her before he passed away. Besides, maybe it would be best coming from me rather than you. I won't get so emotional."

Draco looked wistfully at the door before nodding his consent. Blaise patted him on the shoulder before he knocked on Hermione's door and entered.

"Oh, hi, Blaise," Hermione smiled up at him.

Blaise was suddenly struck by how fragile she looked – those few weeks in hospital had sunken her face and she looked as if she would fall over with the wind. Suddenly, he didn't feel quite so willing to tell her.

"Hermione, I have some bad news," Blaise said awkwardly.

"Blaise, is Professor Snape about?" Hermione asked casually. "I need to see him about some stuff."

"Hermione, the news is about Snape," Blaise said, watching as her face instantly became alert and concerned.

"What's happened? Is he ill?" Hermione rattled off the questions.

"It's worse," Blaise took a deep breath before continuing. "Hermione, whilst you were unconscious, he, umm, he passed away."

There was a heavy silence in the room for a moment as Hermione looked at him, angry clear in her eyes.

"Blaise, that's not fucking funny," Hermione screamed, standing up and storming towards him. Blaise quickly realised that although she was small and fragile, she was extremely frightening.

"Hermione, I'm not joking."

Hermione paused, saw the truth in his eyes and then slumped against him, all her energy suddenly gone.

"How?" Hermione's voice was heart breaking as Blaise held her.

"Suicide," Blaise decided that honesty was the best policy in this situation.

"Suicide?" Hermione reeled back as if struck. "He'd never do that!"

"Well, he did," Blaise sighed.

Hermione shook her head, firmly believing in the fact that Severus would never have committed suicide.

"Hermione, he gave me something to give to you before he left," Blaise said softly, handing her the small vial.

She looked at it then took it, cradling it in her hands. When she looked up at Blaise, her eyes were sad but confident, and she seemed to have regained her composure.

"Blaise, be a dear and escort to the Room of Requirement, will you please?" She asked, over-polite. "I would go by myself but I'm not allowed in case I collapse again."

"Of course," Blaise agreed, a little stunned by her sudden change in disposition. However, when she walked past him he noticed her lower lip wobbling and her shoulders were slumped – a dead give-away that she was simply hiding her true feelings.

As she walked out through the living room Draco leapt to his feet to embrace his girlfriend but Blaise shook his head and he sat back down again, confusion on his face. Blaise quickly signed that they would be back shortly and he would explain, suddenly grateful that all Slytherins had to be proficient in sign language (not due to helping deaf people, but instead for silent communications between them).

Draco nodded and by this time Hermione was out of the living room and into the corridor, heading off quickly to the Room of Requirement. Blaise had to run to catch up with her, and even when he did he had to take fairly long strides to keep up with her pace. He watched her as she walked back and forth and followed her when she entered the room.

The room was pure stone, and the only item in it was a pedestal with a pensieve on the top. Hermione unstoppered the vial and poured the contents into the pensieve.

"Blaise, can you wait here for me?" Hermione asked. "I have to do this."

"Hermione, I'll stay here for as long as you like," Blaise said softly.

"Thanks," she smiled at him, took a deep breath and placed her head on the surface of the liquid, feeling herself falling into the first memory…

_-First memory-_

_The room was full of Death Eaters, all cloaked and silent, as if waiting for someone of utmost importance. As Hermione watched from the side-lines, several more Death Eaters entered, dragging three women along with them, which they dumped on the floor in the centre of the room. All the women were conscious, and one was pleading to be set free. Hermione noticed that another one was already bleeding heavily and that the other one was simply curled up in a ball on the floor._

_Suddenly the Death Eaters stood straight, and Hermione stepped forward to see as the dreaded Dark Lord himself entered and sat himself in a throne. Wormtail followed him like a loyal dog, and Hermione had to resist the urge to hit him, knowing that it wouldn't affect him anyway. _

"_My fellow Death Eaters," Voldemort addressed the room at large. "It is the time you have been waiting for – time to indulge yourself in your fantasies. Three mudbloods in front of you, and the men that I list will be allowed to take their fill from them. Avery, Macnair, Amycus Carrow, Gibbon, Mulcider, Travers and Selwyn."_

_The men called stepped forward and stood by the women, bowing to their lord. _

"_All the women in this room, save these mudblood scum, please disrobe."_

_There was a collective movement around the room as ten women undressed and stood before Voldemort, their (mostly) beautiful bodies overshadowed by the grotesque mask that they still wore._

"_Now, whilst my loyal men did a superb job dispatching of some of the Order members, there are two followers which I wish to honour by allowing them free reign of their lovely pureblood colleagues. Severus Snape!"_

_Hermione's heart skipped a beat when one of the Death Eaters took off his mask and the face that she knew so well was revealed behind it. She smiled but it quickly fell off her face when he looked over the women's bodies and picked one with beautiful long legs and pert breasts. She noticed another Death Eater move, as if annoyed, but he stilled again._

_Severus reached up and took off the woman's mask and Narcissa was revealed. God, she was beautiful. Her hair was white-blonde, long and shiny and her body was firm and perfectly shaped. Hermione suddenly felt ill and realised that she didn't want to watch any more but couldn't bring herself to leave the memory. _

"_Lucius Malfoy," Voldemort said._

_The Death Eater who had moved earlier removed his mask and quickly picked a woman with large breasts. She was revealed to be none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, but this was obviously before her stint in Askaban because she looked healthy and pretty. _

"_Free choice for the rest of you!" Voldemort called. "Apart from Alecto, she's mine."_

_Alecto removed her mask, stepped up to him and sat on him, taking him into her at once. By the look on her face it was obvious that this was supposed to be an honour, because she looked joyous as she began to ride him. _

_One of the muggles, the one who had been pleading earlier, began to scream. Hermione turned to her and saw one of the Death Eaters enter her and began to thrust roughly. Instead of allowing the poor girl to scream, another one of the Death Eaters simply shoved his erection into her mouth and ordered her to suck. The other two muggles were getting it just as bad, one even being taken in all three orifices at once._

_Hermione felt sick to her stomach and had to turn before she threw up. As she turned, she was assaulted by the image of her Severus fucking Narcissa doggy-style, who was thrusting back on him as he wrapped one hand in her long hair and pulled it roughly backwards. _

"_You've always liked it like this, haven't you," She heard him growl at her._

"_Oh, god, please, more," Narcissa panted._

_It was clear that they had done this before, many times. She even saw as Severus slipped out of her slick opening and then thrust into her ass, Narcissa letting out a keening sound of pleasure as she came from the sensation. _

_Everywhere Hermione looked sickened her. There was Alecto riding the Dark Lord, Bellatrix sucking off Lucius Malfoy, the women being raped and Severus fucking Narcissa. Thankfully the room began to swim and Hermione was transported to a different place._

_-Second memory- _

_Hermione was still reeling from the sight of her beloved taking Narcissa when she found herself in a muggle home. It was obviously muggle from its appearance – she had yet to see a wizarding home with a television. She glanced up to see Severus walk into the room, his dark Death Eater robes billowing around him. Being dragged behind him by her hair was a muggle woman of about twenty-five, dark-haired, attractive. She was quiet, refusing to give into the fear. In fact, as Hermione saw her eyes, there didn't even appear to be any fear in her eyes at all, simply anger. _

"_Newlyweds," Lucius's drawl announced to a cackle of laughter from none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. _

_At first Hermione thought that it was just the three of them, but then another two Death Eaters walked into the room, levitating a man who had to be the woman's husband. He was bound._

_Severus removed his garb and stood before the woman in a black shirt and black trousers. He grinned wildly at the other Death Eaters, and as he stared back at the woman Hermione became aware of just how young he looked. He couldn't be much older than the woman who had been unceremoniously dumped on the floor. _

"_Hello, pretty," Bellatrix cooed to the young woman. "Ready to lose your innocence?"_

"_Oh, love, believe me, I don't have any innocence left so you're out of luck," The woman retorted, standing up as she glared at Bellatrix._

"_With what we're about to do to you, you won't even be able to look at yourself in the mirror, let alone look at your husband," Lucius snarled. _

"_You've got to make me do it first," the woman crossed her arms defiantly._

_Hermione closed her eyes softly as she realised the implications of the woman's callously spoken words. Severus, Lucius and Bellatrix all stripped down to nothing. _

"_Mmm, I used to fuck girls like you in high school," the woman said to Bellatrix before punching her square in the face._

_As Bellatrix stepped back in shock, Lucius turned and cast the Cruciatus curse on the husband, who screamed. Fear spread into the woman's eyes then and she panicked._

"_Stop, please stop! I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt him!"_

_Lucius lifted the curse and fingered his wand, looking at the woman thoughtfully. _

"_Get on your hands and knees," Lucius ordered._

_The woman obeyed, looking up at him._

"_Bella?"_

_Bellatrix conjured a chair and placed it in front of the woman's face, sitting down on it and spreading her legs so that the woman was right in Bellatrix's genitalia. _

"_Come on then, mudblood," Bellatrix sneered. "Or your husband will lose his fingers."_

_Where there had been hesitation was only determination as the woman crawled forward slightly and began to lick Bellatrix in her most intimate place. As Bellatrix moaned and shifted on the seat, the woman's husband was shouting at the top of his voice, his words unintelligible through his anger. _

_As Bellatrix came, Lucius lifted up the woman's skirt and entered her, causing her to cry out in pain. Hermione closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the image but she opened them again when the man stopped shouting. Just one look showed her that he was dead, and the woman began to struggle on the floor against Lucius. Bellatrix was still sitting in the chair but the woman was no longer pleasuring her. With a grunt, Lucius came inside her and then removed himself._

"_Your turn, Severus," Lucius said as he cleaned himself up and redressed. "I know how you love them begging."_

_What Severus did to the woman horrified Hermione – as he completely destroyed her sexually he was rough and brutal, voicing just how pathetic she was. By the end of it, the woman was lying in a bloody heap on the floor, her eyes dead._

"_What do we do with her?" Lucius poked her with his foot._

"_Dispose of the husband, leave her here," Severus ordered. "That way she'll have to suffer."_

_As the room spun once more, Hermione was aware that she was sobbing now, unable to cope with the horrors that she had seen. The Severus she knew, the one who had held her and comforted her, would never have done those horrible things. But this is what he did every time he had gone to see Voldemort, and by the look on his face, he had enjoyed it._

_-Third memory-_

_Hermione knew that this memory was different. The whole image was fuzzy, as if she were looking at it through foggy glass. However, what Severus had wanted her to see was still there, and it sickened her. It was them, but it must have been a dream or something because they had never done anything like what she was viewing. _

_He had her bent over his teacher's desk and was ramming into her roughly and brutally, holding onto her hair tightly as he rode her. He was speaking low to her but the words were obvious – 'that's it, cry for me, you filthy little mudblood.'_

_The image-her was crying hard, gripping onto any surface possible, trying to get away from him. _

_It was clear to her in that moment that Severus was nothing but a brute, for why else would he dream about something like that? Raping a girl that he was supposed to care about._

_Hermione screamed._

_-End memories-_

As Blaise rushed to support her she threw up, unable to keep the contents of her stomach down any further. He ignored the vomit and wrapped his arms around her shoulders to support her, but she was shaking so much that the room procured a sofa for him to sit her down on.

"What did you see?" Blaise asked softly.

Hermione didn't answer, keeping her head down. Blaise reached up to touch her face in the hope of getting a response but he faltered when a drop of blood splattered onto his hand.

"Hermione!" He said panicked.

She looked up at him and Blaise reeled back in shock. Her whole face was covered in tear streaks, but instead of being clear, the streaks were blood. As he watched her, another blood-tear overflowed from her eye and traced down her cheek.

"Hermione, you're crying blood!"

Hermione touched her cheek and screamed when she saw the blood that came away on her hand. Blaise was suddenly thankful for the sofa when her eyes rolled backwards in her head and she fainted, unable to deal with the shock.

* * *

><p>"Draco!" Pansy screamed through the portrait door.<p>

Draco leapt to his feet and dashed across to open the door up, greatly alarmed by Pansy's voice.

"You have to come with me," Pansy tugged on his sleeve. "Hermione's back in the hospital wing."

"What? Why?" Draco asked even as he began to run along the corridor with Pansy by his side.

"She collapsed in front of Blaise," Pansy answered. "He said something about tears of blood?"

Draco ran even faster, determined to get to his girlfriend as quickly as possible. When he entered the hospital wing, Harry was stood around a bed, obscuring his view of the person lying within it. As Harry shifted slightly, Blaise came into view – he was sat by the bedside, dabbing water onto her face.

"Oh, Hermione," Draco managed to strangle out as he saw her.

There were bloodstreams all down her face and she seemed deathly pale. It was obvious that she was unconscious, but Draco wondered if she was simply dreaming because she kept shifting and muttering things in her sleep.

"Madam Pomfrey, what's wrong with her?" Draco cried out as soon as he saw the friendly nurse bustling in.

"Mr Malfoy, you will have to ask the Headmaster for that," She replied tiredly as she hurried to Hermione's side and started fussing over her.

At that moment, Dumbledore entered the hospital wing. He completely ignored Draco's pleas for information and walked up to Hermione. Madam Pomfrey stepped back as he waved his wand over her in a series of complex movements and when a blue light surrounded her he sighed and seemed to slump, aging about ten years.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"Mr Zabini, please go and fetch Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said quietly. "They need to be told too."

As Blaise dashed off, Draco stepped from foot to foot, never taking his eyes off Hermione. When Blaise came back, Harry rushed to her bedside and tried to embrace her, whilst Ron and Ginny stood awkwardly back, obviously not sure of what they should do. Ginny went over to Draco and squeezed his hand, giving him a gentle smile before she turned back to look at Dumbledore.

"She's had a curse put on her," he said softly.

"What sort of curse?" Draco and Harry asked at once.

"A curse to remove her magic," he replied.

"Excuse me?" Ron's voice broke through the momentary stunned silence. "Her magic is gone?"

"When she was with Mr Zabini earlier, she subconsciously realised this and her body began to react against it, causing her to cry blood," Dumbledore shook his head in pity.

"But, Headmaster, all curses have a cure," Ginny cried.

"Unfortunately this curse can only be lifted by whoever cursed her or whoever has the same blood as the curser," Dumbledore explained.

"So how can we find out who it was?" Harry asked, his voice clearly indicted his rising anger.

"It could have been any one," Dumbledore answered. "But we will have to look at all potential enemies. We will find out who the culprit is."

"What is Hermione to do in the meantime?" Ginny questioned.

"She will simply have to remain here."

* * *

><p>It was night-time when Hermione awoke, and it took several minutes for her to realise that she was, once again, in the hospital wing, In a matter of seconds the memories of what had occurred earlier that day overwhelmed her and she found herself gasping for breath, tears falling down her face once more. She went to wipe away the moisture and was stunned when it was blood. She picked up her wand, which had obviously been deposited there, and tried to conjure a mirror, but nothing happen.<p>

She glanced at her wand in surprise and then tried to accio something wandlessly, something that she was proficiently trained in, but nothing happened. A sense of panic took her over and she hurried to lift up her nightshirt, searching for a small scar on her side which she prayed would not be there.

It was.

Hermione lost her breath. The scar, the bloody tears and the sudden lack of magic accumulated to one thing – someone had taken her magic away from her. She suddenly felt ill at ease, and the prospect of facing everyone in the morning was becoming more and more horrific.

Hermione needed to be alone, so she did the only thing she could.

She ran.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Oh dear :/ Severus is dead, Hermione is without magic and Draco's now all alone not turning out well, is it?


	16. Chapter 15

Another Chapter for you avid readers! More reviews please…not really getting enough!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"Luke!" Hermione banged on his door, ignorant of the fact that it was half past two in the morning and she had spent a whole day travelling across the country. "Let me in!"

It took a couple of minutes for the bleary-eyed man to open his front door, and Hermione pushed right past him, carrying only a single suitcase, which she swiftly deposited on his living room floor.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Luke asked, running a hand over his face in an attempt to wake up.

"Luke, I'm really sorry to wake you up but I've got into a bit of trouble at home and I was wondering if I could stay here with you for a bit?" Hermione rushed out, desperately hoping for a positive response.

"I only have one bed," he said, taken-aback.

"I can sleep on the sofa," Hermione said, her smile bright.

"Um….sure?"

"Thank you!" Hermione said, much of the tension easing out of her shoulders. "It means a lot. I'll try and be out of here soon but I'm not sure how long I'll need to stay here."

"Give me a minute and I'll get you some pillows and a blanket," Luke yawned sleepily as he wandered off down the corridor.

Hermione took a quick peek around his living room, smiling at the somehow homely room, with ornaments on windowsills and a soft rug on the floor.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, okay?" Luke said as he put the bedding on the sofa. "I'm sorry I'm not more help but I've not long been asleep and I've just finished a double shift."

"Sorry," Hermione apologised again for her late night intrusion.

"It's okay," he mumbled as he went back through a door which Hermione presumed was his bedroom.

Unsurprisingly, sleep did not come easily for the now Muggle. She lay down on the rather comfortable sofa and pulled the blanket up over her, but she tossed and turned as memories of those she loved invaded her mind. It had been embarrassment which had caused her to flee; she hadn't wanted her friends to have to always been looking after her because they felt like they had to. She forbade tears from falling down her face, knowing that Luke would be petrified if he woke up and saw her like that.

She had barely fallen asleep when Luke woke her up, a cup of tea in his hand which he promptly passed to her. She grasped it in her hands as she sat up and looked wearily at Luke, who was staring back at her with concern in his face.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked.

"Luke, you honestly wouldn't believe me if I did," Hermione sighed.

"Try me," he said sincerely.

So she did. She revealed the whole story from start to finish, watching as Luke's face became more and more shocked before he finally smiled when she finished.

"What?" She asked, looking at the smile.

"Oh, sorry, I'm not smiling at your misfortune," Luke quickly wiped the smile off his face. "Um, I didn't realise you were THE Hermione Granger."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked bemused.

"I'm a wizard as well," Luke grinned.

"Don't, that's not funny," Hermione snapped at him, disbelief crossing her face.

"No, honestly, I am," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wand. He could see that she still didn't believe him so he summoned his pillow from the bedroom and threw it at her.

"No fucking way!" Hermione squealed in delight and hugged him. "I thought I'd have to get away from it all but it just so happens that the person I run to is a wizard. Which school did you go to?"

"Oh, I went to Holloway," Luke said.

"The music school in America?" Hermione questioned.

"Sort of," Luke said. "It is a music school but the part I went to is also the secret wizarding part. I was a protégé with the bass,"

"Oh, cool," Hermione's mouth was open. "What happened?"

"My parents passed away and I decided to revert to a muggle lifestyle," Luke answered.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but how did they pass away?" Hermione picked up on the evasiveness.

"Voldemort," Luke's hands fisted. "He killed them and I didn't want to die so I acted as a muggle."

"I don't blame you," Hermione took his hand. "But he is gone now, you can act like a wizard."

"I quite like my life," Luke smiled. "It's easy."

Hermione smiled back at him, surprised at the ease with which she was able to display happiness, given that she was still emotionally unsettled on the inside.

* * *

><p>Before Hermione knew it she had settled into a comfortable life with Luke. He didn't ask for much, but she made sure that the fridge was always stocked with food bought with the money she earned as a waitress, and in return he happily transformed the couch into a bed each night for her and was pleased to have some company after a while alone.<p>

Within a week of her living there she received a letter from Harry, delivered, of course, through his beloved Hedwig.

It read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_I wish I could understand why you left. I really do. But I can't. We all love you and care about you so much but you just left us without even asking for any help. Draco spends most of his time staring at the wall now and Ginny and Pansy are pretty much silent constantly. _

_We need you to come back, we can help you. _

_Please come back._

_Ever your brother, _

_Harry._

She had sighed and touched his name, a wave of regret crashing over her. After that letter had been delivered, she sent Hedwig on her way without a reply, hoping that Harry would understand that she was severing her ties with the wizarding world.

The muggle life that she had thrown herself into was fitting her fine. There were a few times when she attempted to use wandless magic, only to be struck with sadness when she realised that she could no longer do that. Slowly but surely she began to adapt, avoiding all reminders of who she had been.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mum!" Hermione called as she stepped into her childhood home.<p>

"Hello, darling, I'm in the kitchen!"

As Hermione made her way through to the room, she was struck by the irony that since she had lost her magic, she had become surprisingly close to her mum, whom she visited once a week. When Hermione had first entered the house, she had been fearful of what she would find, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that her mother had been able to keep off the drugs and was looking vibrant and alive, even if she did had those moments when she remembered the love of her life and stared wistfully off into the distance.

"I brought you some chocolate," Hermione placed a carrier bag onto the counter.

"Thanks, love," She replied, wiping her hands with the dishcloth. "Now, we need to have a talk."

"Uh-oh, I don't like it when you say that," Hermione sat down.

"You need to go home."

"I am home," Hermione answered, staring intently at the bag.

"You know exactly what I mean! You are running away from everyone you love and you need to stop it! The amount of times I've had one of your friends or one of the Weasleys pop in and ask about you is ridiculous!" Jessie Granger raised her voice. "That boyfriend of yours is at his wit's end!"

"You've met him?" Hermione's voice was quiet. "How is he?"

"Ill," She said. "Very ill."

"Oh, but, Mum, I can't go back, it's too humiliating," Hermione moaned, her eyes welling up. "I can't do anything."

"Hermione Jean Granger, you are the smartest person I know! You can figure out a way around this. Why don't you go back to Hogwarts, read through every book in that fucking library and find a cure? There will be one and you will be the one to find it."

"I love you," Hermione embraced her Mum, crying softly. "When Mrs Weasley comes back can you tell her that I'll be here next Saturday and if she could would she be able to take me back to Hogwarts?"

"She'll love to," Jessie replied, hugging her daughter tightly. "Now, don't be a stranger when you go back, make sure you visit me sometimes."

"Don't worry, I won't," Hermione stepped back and wiped her eyes.

As Hermione left her mother in the kitchen, she was struck by just how far the woman had come in only a couple of months. Since Christmas time when she had lost the love of her life to a drug which had caught her in its grasps too, she had grown into an independent woman, managing to support herself with a job at the local dentist practice which allowed her to keep her house (that and Hermione had arranged for any extra to come out of her own bank account – after all, being the heroine in the wizarding war had its perks). It seemed as if Jessie Granger had asserted herself back into her mothering role but with a tough streak that had been lacking before.

Hermione liked the new Jessie Granger.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Hermione, darling, can you help me?" John called.<p>

"Give me a second!" She shouted back over the hustle and bustle of the railway café.

It was her final day at work and she had been rushed off her feet for the last eight hours, the café being unusually busy. As Hermione put the plates on the side in the kitchen, she hurried back out to aid John.

"Babe, I need your help, they're getting antsy," John whispered urgently, nodding slightly towards a table of loud men.

"Okay, John, let me handle it," Hermione said, squeezing his hand.

She quickly popped into the bathroom, primped herself in the mirror (which consisted of smoothing down her hair so it framed her face and applying a red lipstick) and then plastered a beaming smile onto her face and waltzing back out into the room. She walked over to the table of the four males.

"Hello, what seems to be the problem?" She asked sweetly.

"It's about time!" One bellowed before he looked at her and stopped.

"Sorry, hun, we haven't had our food yet," Another one with gentle eyes and a bashful smile said, an embarrassed look on his face.

"When did you order?" Hermione asked.

"About forty minutes ago?" He answered. "It was quite a long time ago."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry about that, I'll go and check up on that now," Hermione smiled at him before leaving.

She felt a stab in her heart; they were exactly how she had imagined the marauders to be. Remus; the shy, gentle one; Sirius; the loudmouth flirt; James; the centre of the group and Peter; the quiet one who hardly said anything. Just before she stepped into the kitchen she glanced back and saw two of them laughing together, one making rather rude gestures, another one staring out of the window and the gentle one looking at her, a stunned look on his face. She ducked her head before checking up on their order.

Within five minutes she had it on the table in front of them.

"Thank you, gorgeous!" the one she likened to Sirius grinned cheekily at her. "So, you free later?"

"No, actually," Hermione said calmly. "I'm going home, packing and going back to boarding school."

"Boarding school?" He eyed her up and down. "You don't look young."

"I'm nineteen," Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"And you're still in school?" 'James' asked astonished.

"I missed a year due to unavoidable circumstances," Hermione answered briefly.

As she walked away she was aware of eyes on her and felt annoyed that he was still watching her.

"You owe me bigtime," She whispered to John. "If I get eye-fucked one more time I'm going to go mental."

"It's okay, darling, I appreciate it," John called as he took the orders off a teenage couple who only had eyes for each other.

An hour later and the café was closed up. Hermione looked up at the café and felt a slight sadness at having to leave the muggle life behind. Although she was excited about going back to her true world, she still felt a pang of longing for what life would have been like if she had remained a muggle – the biggest problem she would face would be finding a decent boyfriend.

"Um, hi," a voice made her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump. It's only me."

With a jolt she recognised him as the kind one from the otherwise obnoxious group earlier. She smiled at him but tried to dampen the fear she had within her at the sight of him again.

"I wanted to apologise for my friends earlier, they can be a pain," He sighed. "Especially when they've been drinking."

"Why were they drinking during the day?" Hermione asked.

"Kieran just got promoted and they were drinking to celebrate."

"Weren't you drinking?"

"No, I was the designated driver," He said. "What's your name?"

"Hermione," she said.

"I'm Peter," he held out his hand.

Hermione took it, and instantly knew something was wrong. He pulled her close, not letting go of her hand and held her tightly, not as in an embrace but rather like a vice, controlling her. Before she could scream, she felt herself being sucked into a vortex, being compressed on all sides before she hit the ground hard.

It took a couple of seconds before she could clamber to her feet, and she was stunned to find herself at Malfoy Manor, in the entrance hall.

"Hello, mudblood," Narcissa greeted her, a sneer on her face.

"Narcissa, dearest," Hermione answered.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Peter swing at her, and she quickly ducked, bringing her body round to sweep his legs out from under him. As she went to lash out at Narcissa she was frozen, a spell cast on her from an unknown assailant.

"Hello, darling," Narcissa's face lit up at the sight of this person who was behind Hermione. "I've missed you."

"And I've missed you," an extremely familiar voice replied. Hermione saw the person in her periphery as they walked around to the beautiful woman in front of her and she felt her heart stutter as she saw someone who shouldn't have been there.

As Lucius Malfoy came into view and kissed his swooning wife, Hermione fainted.

* * *

><p>When she came round, she realised that she was in the dungeons – a cold, dark, damp room with stone walls and a steady dripping sound in the background. As she tried to lift herself off the ground, a sudden pain to her head hit her and she grasped it with one hand, moaning slightly as she supported herself with the other hand.<p>

"Hello, Mudblood," the sneer made her blink and look up.

"Lucius," she said calmly, fighting past the wave of pain.

"Do not call me that, you lowly scum!" he hissed.

"May I ask, what do you want from me?" Hermione quizzed.

"My son is not getting married to a mudblood," He said, anger apparently in his voice. "Especially not to someone who actively defeated the Dark Lord."

"Lucius, dear, do you mean to tell me that you came back from the dead to talk to me?" Hermione smiled at him. "I'm flattered but I'm already with one Malfoy, I don't need another."

"You fucking mudblood!" Malfoy was clearly angry now, and Hermione felt a stab of pleasure at knowing that she was annoying him greatly.

"Please, change the record, it's getting a bit repetitive – here I was under the impression that you were brought up to be eloquent – I guess I was mistaken. Having pure blood isn't all it's cut out to be, is it?"

"Crucio!"

Hermione refused to scream as the pain hit her, engulfing her in a sea of white and red as her blood pulsed violently in her, the untellable pain too much to bear. As Lucius lifted it, Hermione felt to the floor, curling up slightly as she panted, trying to stop her limbs from shaking. Just when she thought she had recovered, he hit her with it again, breaking her resolve as she screamed.

As the fog lifted from that one, she saw him grin maniacally at her, and she was struck by just how similar he looked to his son, but how differently he carried himself. As Hermione flashed back over her years at Hogwarts, she wondered just how she could have thought that Draco was anything like his father – not once had Draco's cruel tone met his eyes and she realised in a second that it was only a façade, an attempt to gain his father's approval.

Her heart ached for the wrong that she had done to her beloved over the years, and she was determined that once she managed to get out of this dismal place she would treat him like he truly deserved. She loved him, after all.

* * *

><p>Draco knew something was wrong. Mrs Weasley had turned up at Hermione's mother's as planned only to find that Hermione hadn't turned up. Although the majority of people believed that she had just changed her mind, he was of the opinion that something bad had happened to her. He didn't know what it was that was telling him this, but it felt as if his heart was missing.<p>

"Draco," Harry ran up to him in the corridor. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he answered, staring off into the distance.

"Is it because Hermione didn't come back?" Harry asked.

"Something's happened to her, I'm almost positive of it," Draco wrapped his arms around himself for comfort. "She wouldn't just let us worry. I mean, she even replied to you to tell you not to worry and she hasn't been in contact with her mother either and I know that she's been worried about her mother lately."

"Draco, I'm sure it's nothing," Harry said soothingly.

"I'm with him on this," Blaise joined the conversation. "Hermione wouldn't just drop off the face of the Earth. Why don't we go off school grounds this weekend and go find her? It shouldn't be that difficult."

"Dumbledore would throw a fit," Harry sighed.

"So?" Draco exclaimed. "We're all eighteen and of age, we're here because we want to be, not because we have to be. We'll just tell him we're leaving for the weekend and there's nothing he can do to stop us."

"But what if Hermione's fine and she gets mad at us?" Harry said.

"What if she's in danger and we don't do anything to help her?" Draco shot back, watching Harry's face fall.

Draco felt a pang of guilt at having to be slightly cruel to Harry, but he was desperate to find Hermione and remind her just how much she meant to him. It was true that he absolutely adored her and, since she had run away that night, he had realised that the collar that he had fastened round her neck so long ago was the best thing to happen to him – now he could imagine a life with her, with their kids in a nice house somewhere in the country.

"We should talk to Dumbledore now," Harry said, leading the way up to the gargoyle which guards his office. When they were there Harry listed a variety of wizard sweets but none of them was the password.

"Jelly babies," Draco sighed and the gargoyle moved.

"How the fuck did you know that?" Blaise stared at him.

"I saw Dumbledore over the summer and introduced him to the sweet," Draco said, walking up the stairs. "He absolutely loved them."

"Since when did you eat muggle sweets?" Harry asked.

"We all eat muggle sweets, some of them are really nice," Blaise answered for him.

"Okay…" Harry said, clearly bemused as he knocked on Dumbledore's door and then walked in without waiting for an answer.

"Misters Potter, Malfoy and Zabini, how may I help you?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

"We wish to leave the grounds this weekend to find Hermione," Harry took the lead as he knew Dumbledore the best.

"Harry, I'm not sure that's wise," Dumbledore addressed him by his first name, something that wasn't unnoticed by the three boys.

"Well, we're only informing you, you can't stop us," Draco snapped.

"I know that I cannot prevent you from leaving the school grounds, but I only wish for you to be discrete and not to take anyone who is not of age," Dumbledore said easily, much to the boys' shock – they had believed that they would have had to leave without his permission. "Mr Malfoy, I know you love her, and I'm positive that you will not rest until you have found her and I am not going to stand in your way."

Draco looked at the headmaster, who had his familiar twinkle in his eye (along with a slight hint of concern) and he nodded sharply at him, acknowledging what he was doing whilst struggling to deal with his almost constant meddling. It angered him that Dumbledore seemed to know everything, and it annoyed him that he had several scars on his back for once praising up the headmaster.

The boys left together and began to plan, determined to find Hermione and convince her to come back home.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Ginny asked Harry the night before he was to leave. "Why have you been packing a bag?"<p>

Harry sighed, dreading this moment. He had hoped to leave his beloved a message rather than tell her face to face and have her demand to come but it seemed as if his luck had run out.

"I'm going to find Hermione," he answered.

"I want to come," She said instantly.

"Ginny, you can't," Harry clasped her hands. "Please."

"No, Harry, I'm coming along and you can't stop me!" Ginny snapped, storming up the girls stairs and coming back down within about ten minutes with a duffel bag stuffed with clothes and other essentials. "Try and stop me!"

"It's only me, Draco and Blaise going, Gin, I'm not going to have you trailing along afterwards," Harry said firmly.

"Fuck you, Potter, I'm going and that's that!" Ginny yelled, her hair almost crackling with the famous Weasley temper.

"Fine," Harry reluctantly consented. The headmaster had only asked that he not take anyone who was under legal age and Ginny was seventeen. Besides, he knew full well that Ginny would follow him and he'd much rather have her where he could see her than have her get into trouble.

"Perfect," Ginny said satisfied.

* * *

><p>Friday evening, at eight o'clock, the four of them met at the Quidditch pitch as prearranged, duffel bags packed for the weekend and brooms in hand. When Ginny materialised out of the shadows, Draco turned angrily on Harry.<p>

"You prick, it's only supposed to be us," He shouted, forgetting about keeping his voice down.

"I'll have you know, Malfoy, that I forced Harry into agreeing," Ginny said, her voice dangerously low. "Now you back the fuck off my boyfriend or you'll never have kids."

Draco seemed to visibly deflate at her words and she softened, embracing him in a hug. She knew what he was going through – he had lost his two lovers together, within a month. She couldn't empathise with his emotional trauma, but she was willing to let him cry on her shoulder, which he appeared to be doing now, judging by his hiccupping breaths and her shoulder steadily becoming wetter and wetter. It was several minutes before he managed to compose himself, and when he removed himself from Ginny he was once again strong.

"We should get going," Draco said, securing his bag onto the end of the broomstick and then mounting it. "We have a lot to do."

"Where are we going first?" Ginny asked, as they all copied Draco.

"Her parents' house," Draco answered, kicking off the ground.

Within a minute they were flying high in the air, bent low to cover as much ground as possible before the dark cloud looming overhead broke and soaked them. As it happened, they landed outside the Granger household just as the first drops of rain hit the ground.

They shrunk their brooms and put them in their pockets then walked up the path to the quaint house, Draco raising his hand and knocking.

"Hello?" Mrs Granger opened the door to see them. "May I help?"

Harry pushed to the front of the group and smiled at her. "Mrs Granger, I'm Harry Potter, I went skiing with you a few winters back."

"Of course you did," she stepped aside to let them all in. "I guess this is about Hermione?"

"Yes, it is," Ginny said. "We're worried about her."

"So am I," Mrs Granger led the way into the living room, which was rather tastefully decorated. "I'm glad someone has realised that this isn't like Hermione. I mean, Molly was a little concerned but she just thought that Hermione had changed her mind."

"Sorry, my Mum is normally a worrier," Ginny apologised. "She cares deeply for Hermione but lately she understands independence a bit more, thanks to me, I guess."

"Oh, you're her daughter!" Mrs Granger exclaimed, looking fully at her. "I can see the resemblance now. And you certainly are gorgeous; no wonder she's worried about the boys."

Ginny blushed and dipped her head.

"Anyway, sorry, Mrs Granger, but do you know where she was staying?" Draco cut in.

"Jessie, please, and I don't know exactly but I do know he was called Luke and she met him at the hospital when I was there over Christmas," She said. "I don't know if that helps or not?"

"That helps plenty, thanks!" Ginny said to Jessie. "I hope you don't mind but we're on a limited time span here and we need to get going."

"If you need a place to stay you could always come back here?" Jessie offered. "I only have one bed spare and the sofa but you could always enlarge them or something?"

"Thank you, Jessie," Ginny said. "We'll be back later. We won't disturb you if you are asleep."

"Keep in contact with me, please, I want my daughter back," Jessie was almost pleading with them as they said their goodbyes.

"We will," Blaise called as they ran off down the path.

"To the hospital?" Ginny asked.

"Absolutely," Draco said shortly and in a flash he had taken along by Side-Along Apparation, having been to the hospital before when he had dropped Hermione off to visit her mother.

Just before they walked in Blaise stopped them. He poked his head around the corner and saw a lonely young woman sat behind the desk, staring at the phone.

"Let me handle this," He said confidently.

They watched as he opened the door and walked up to the woman, flashing her a winning smile.

"Hello, could you help me? I'm trying to find my cousin; I was told he works here?" Blaise asked.

"Oh, umm, hi, what's his name?" She seemed flustered at the sight of him.

"Luke? I don't know his last name because I believe my aunt remarried and I'm not sure if he kept his father's surname or not? He works as a paramedic," Blaise was superb in his delivery, hesitant enough to seem sincere but confident enough to hold the woman's attention.

"Oh, you mean Luke Fairway, he's out on call at the moment," She smiled at him. "If you wish to wait he's on his way back?"

"Thank you, that would be nice," Blaise gazed into her eyes and dipped into her head, instantly becoming aware of the disappointment that was at the forefront of her mind, along with anxiety and interest with the handsome Italian.

"Your boyfriend is an idiot," Blaise said suddenly, causing the woman to look at him with pure curiosity. "Anyone can tell that you're absolutely stunning and I'd advise you to dump his ass if he doesn't ring you within the next half an hour. I'm sure you can do better than him."

"Oh, umm, thanks?" The woman was clearly confused but as Blaise smiled at her again her stance relaxed and she offered him a seat.

It wasn't much later when Luke came in. He greeted the woman on the front desk, and she redirected him to Blaise, who stood up and took his hand.

"Do you think we could go outside for a moment?" Blaise asked. "It's about Hermione."

Luke threw him a glance but consented to follow him outside, where he was met by the entourage.

"Hi, sorry to jump on you like this, but we're trying to find Hermione, can you help us?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Ginny Weasley, this is Harry Potter and Blaise Zabini," Ginny quickly introduced them.

"You must be Draco, right?" Luke gave him the once over. "Hermione's told me all about you."

"Has she?" his gaze was cold.

"Yeah, actually, she hated herself for leaving you and wanted to stay," Luke snapped before he calmed down. "Sorry about that. I'm worried about her, you know? She never came back from work on the evening she was supposed to leave and I'm expected to believe that she just upped and left without her stuff and without saying goodbye? Yeah, right."

"Exactly what we think," Ginny agreed. "So she disappeared from work?"

"I guess so," Luke sighed, looking weary. "I've been staying up, hoping for news but nothing."

"Well, we're on the case now and I can assure you we will find her," Harry said firmly. "We'll let you know when we find her."

"Just send me an owl or something and get her to pop in, her stuff's all packed up in a bag," Luke said.

"You're magic?" Draco asked.

"Yes, I just choose to live a muggle life. By the way, Hermione works at the Little Café on Pyle Street," Luke glanced at his watch. "I've got to get back. Remember, keep in touch!"

* * *

><p>Draco was lying there, staring at the ceiling of Hermione's childhood bedroom, anger consuming him. He felt anger at the fact that Hermione had foolishly wandered into the muggle world and expected to be safe, he was angry at Luke for not looking out for her but, most of all, he was angry at himself for allowing her to leave.<p>

Hot tears came to his eyes and he furiously brushed them away. On the other side of the expanded bed was Blaise, who was shifting slightly every so often. Draco highly doubted that he was asleep, but was restless, like him. Over the last several months, as Draco and Hermione's relationship blossomed, so had Blaise's and Hermione's friendship. Whilst Hermione was reliant on her best girlfriends for amusement, it was Blaise she turned to for a general laugh.

"How are you feeling?" Blaise spoke into the darkness, confirming Draco's suspicions that he was awake.

"Like shit," Draco answered honestly. "How are you?"

"Ditto," Blaise groaned as he rolled over. "I miss her, you know? She's like a sister to me and I hate the thought of her being missing."

"I just hope she's not hurt," Draco said flatly.

* * *

><p>Hermione wasn't hurt. In fact, after Lucius had cursed her the first time she hadn't had any pain at all. He didn't seem to want to hurt her, and had even been loving when he had helped her up from the floor where she had laid in her own urine after she couldn't control herself any more. From the cold dungeons she had been transported to a fairly nice room, with a comfortable bed and an en-suite with a bath, but she had been informed that she wasn't able to leave.<p>

She felt odd.

She thought it had been about a week since she had been taken, but she wasn't sure. She didn't have access to a clock and her room had no windows. For some time she had been wracking her brains to try and find an explanation for why she wasn't being hurt – after all, he was a Death Eater and she was a muggleborn.

"Hello, would you mind if I came in?" Lucius Malfoy was lurking in the doorway.

"It's your house," Hermione replied curtly, refusing to be polite to the man who was going out of his way to be nice.

"Hermione, don't be so cold to me," He said softly, crossing the room to her. "Now, I want you to do something for me."

"Oh, yeah? What would that be?" Hermione asked dully.

"I want you to perform for myself and my friends tonight," Lucius said. "We are having a gentlemen's gathering and we think you'll be perfect entertainment. Will you be able to sing for us?"

"Why would I sing for you?" Hermione snapped.

"Because otherwise I hurt one of your friends," He said calmly. "I can summon Draco here and he would have to come. He can't ignore orders from the Head of House and I can assure you I will hurt him."

"What do you want me to sing?" Hermione asked.

"Something that goes with your outfit," He said with a wicked grin. "Twink!"

A house-elf popped into the room carrying an outfit. As soon as Hermione saw what it was she frowned and sighed.

"Fine," Hermione said. "I have the perfect song and I can assure you, you will be entertained."

"Just act like the mudblood slut you are," Lucius said with a smirk.

"Lucius, darling, if only you knew what your wife got up to on a regular basis with Severus Snape," Hermione's malicious laugh was cut off with a slap to the face.

"My wife has only ever been with me," He snarled.

"You keep telling yourself that, love," Hermione turned away from him. As she hoped he left the room.

She felt so angry; he had been nice to her so she'd roll over and play dead for him. Of course he had. Men like Lucius Malfoy were cruel and pleased about it. She allowed the house-elf to help her into the red corset and then she pulled on the French knickers and attached the suspenders. Finally she stepped into black heels and fastened her hair so it looked messy but stylish, clipping it with a black tie.

By the time a house-elf came to collect her, she was ready. She had spent a while running over the song but she was confident that she would be able to make up the movements as she went along. Just strut and look sexy, right?

Just before she entered the room she glanced down at the little (female?) house-elf who realised this and flattered its ears against its head and cowered slightly away from her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Hermione said softly. "I've been campaigning for house-elves to have rights since my fourth year. What's your name?"

"I is Elsa," The house-elf answered, standing up straighter. "Is Miss really wanting rights for us?"

"Of course," Hermione said. "Lucius Malfoy should not be allowed to have house-elves with the way that he treats you, it's not fair."

"What song is Miss singing?" Elsa asked, her bright eyes looking up at her.

"Oh, a song called Wet by Nicole Scherzinger," Hermione sighed. "They wanted slutty so that's what I'm going to give them."

"Can Miss sing a little for me?" Elsa blinked.

Hermione obliged, singing the chorus for the little elf, who clapped her hands at the end and smiled.

"You have a lovely voice, Miss," Elsa said. "If you ever need something, you can call for Elsa and I will come."

"Won't you get into trouble for that?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Miss, please, us house-elves aren't stupid," Elsa seemed a little offended. "Master doesn't know where we are all the time. I can take time out to come help you. You is nice, you is not like Master."

Hermione blinked back the tears of gratitude that had formed in her eyes and then Elsa carried on taking her to the place. When she was led into the room with about fifteen men, she looked at the collection of men and gulped. Lucius Malfoy, Pansy's father, Amycus Carrow, Rabastan Lestrange and his brother and Macnair were there to name a few. Hermione paused for a second to gain her strength before Lucius acknowledged her.

"Oh, look, our entertainment has arrived," He sneered.

"Wow, she has nice curves for a mudblood," Rabastan commented, eying her up in a way that mad her grossly uncomfortable.

"Well, our esteemed guest would know," Lucius turned towards the back of the room, where a cloaked figure was seated, watching over the room.

Hermione didn't know who it was due to the hood, so she decided to ignore whoever it was and perform her song. Hopefully she'd be allowed to leave afterwards. There was suddenly a loud pop! Elsa had vacated the room, leaving Hermione alone and terrified.

"Come on then, mudblood, perform!" Parkinson jeered.

Elsa popped back in long enough to start the music, then disappeared.

As the music played Hermione froze, before shutting her eyes and imagining she was back in her room at Hogwarts, listening and singing along to this song in her own privacy.

_I feel like everybody's standing around me watching me now_

_I feel like whatever I do tonight would be the talk of the town_

_They wanna know how I'm going to move my body_

_When the beat goes_

_Cause something comes over me_

_When the beat goes._

Hermione's voice grew in confidence and when she opened her eyes again the gathered Death Eaters were simply figures in the background. She couldn't have said what they looked like in that moment, their features were blurry as she began to dance along to the chorus.

_Well, I'm a rip my clothes off_

_Take a leap and surf through the crowd_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Dripping down my neck, soaking wet_

_Sink or swim or you drown_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out._

She started to strut amongst the men, touching them as they watched, quite transfixed by the suddenly sexy mudblood.

_Body's getting super-hot, feels like a hundred degrees_

_I'm waiting for a mean with the fan who can give me a breeze_

_If you touch me there, please beware, you can start up a fire._

_I don't mind if you take me home, cool me off in the shower._

_Well, I'm a rip my clothes off_

_Take a leap and surf through the crowd_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Dripping down my neck, soaking wet_

_Sink or swim or you drown_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out._

There was brief musical interlude where she paused in front of Lucius and began to dip down in front of him, bending over so that her ass was in the air before she snapped up, flipping her hair back so it grazed him.

_I love it when the heat from the beat melts me to the ground_

_Love it when it gets so wet starts trickling down_

_This beat is filthy, dirty, I feel it all over me_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Well, I'm a rip my clothes off_

_Take a leap and surf through the crowd_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Dripping down my neck, soaking wet_

_Sink or swim or you drown_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out_

_Let's get a little wet_

_I like the way you're working me out._

The song stopped and she was back where she started, panting slightly but with a small smile of satisfaction on her lips. She knew that she had knocked them for six, and it gave her great pleasure to know that she would stay alive for a while now – they were too interested in her to kill her.

"You did well, mudblood," Lucius said, eying her appreciatively.

"I'm glad you think so," Hermione refrained from snapping, although it was close.

"Does our guest of honour approve?" Lucius turned towards the cloaked figure.

"Indeed he does," The figure issued a familiar voice. "Very impressive, Hermione."

Her heart stuttered as he stood up and removed the cloak, revealing the handsome features of a dead man. Severus Snape's eyes bore into hers and that was all she saw as she collapsed onto the ground.

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><p><strong>AN: **:O


	17. Chapter 16

Okay, another chapter…although having only 3 reviews for the last one was disappointing…more please? Oh and go check out Passion whilst you're at it – Hermione and Severus one-shot that has no link to this story xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

When Hermione came to, she was aware of softness encasing her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself back in her room, but on a different bed. It was a four-poster bed; she believed that the darkish wood was mahogany, and the bedding was the softest she had ever known. She breathed deeply for a moment before the evening's memories came flooding back to her.

She shot bolt upright, gasping slightly. Her eyes focussed and she realised that Severus was there with her. Admittedly, he was watching her intently, along with Lucius who was stood next to him, but it was his presence that assured her that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

"Severus?" She reached out to him, never leaving the bed though.

"See, I told you she'd be pleased to see you," Lucius gloated. "She's even begging for you to join her on the bed, mudblood slut."

Hermione ignored his words, barely able to hear him over the joyous thoughts in her head that the man she loved was still alive. However, as he approached her, she was frightened by the look in his eyes and remembered exactly what he had done 'in the line of duty'.

"Severus?" This time her voice was shaking slightly and she backed away from him.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and then suddenly Hermione was assaulted by a pain in her mind. Frantically she tried to press up her barriers, only for a voice to break through.

_Hermione, drop your barriers, please, hun._

His voice in her head was tender, although his eyes and demeanour was cold.

_Listen, I need you to trust me. I had to go away – you were dying because of your love for me. That stupid necklace was killing you._

Hermione's hand flew up to touch the collar, only to realise that it was no longer there.

"Where is it?" She shouted, panic overthrowing her. It was her final attachment to Draco and she didn't want to lose it.

Behind Severus, Lucius held it up and grinned at her.

"I don't want mudblood scum joining my family."

Hermione tensed up and went to attack him but Severus got in the way, grabbing hold of her wrists and pinning her down on the bed.

_Leave it, please. He's doing it to aggravate you. There's also a tracking charm in it so Draco could have found you if he knew about it. Now listen, Lucius and his friends are attempting to form another group – to carry on the Death Eater's work. You are part of that plan. Lucius wants his man on the inside and he wants his son back. He kidnapped you so that Draco would find you and then he would threaten you until Draco swore an unbreakable vow to free you. DON'T REACT!_

Hermione heeded the warning in her head as she forced down the anger in her so it looked as if she was somewhat docile. Lucius was too busy gloating in the background to realise the internal conversation that was going on between Severus and Hermione.

_They expect you to fuck me. I told them you would do it willingly because it's me. There's no way to back out of it because I had to claim you as mine or else you would have been at someone else's mercy and they would defile you in ways you can't imagine. Now, you have to go along with what I do and ignore what I say to you unless it's in your head. Okay? I love you, baby._

Hermione fought away tears as his voice left her mind and his gaze became predatory. The Severus she loved was still in there – she knew it. His eyes held the hint of softness in them when he looked at her, although if she didn't know him well she wouldn't have noticed it.

"You'd better go get ready," Severus barked over his shoulder at Lucius, who gave him a dirty smile as he left the room.

He turned his attentions to Hermione, and then glanced down at what she was wearing.

"I'm going to fuck you whilst my friends watch from another room and you're going to like it like you always do, you slut," He snarled at her.

She blocked out his voice but it was difficult to not react when he flicked his wand and left her completely naked on the bed. She scrambled to cover herself up but he forced her hands away.

_Relax, baby, please. Imagine it's just us._

She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, taking his advice. As long as she put the fact that he was acting to the back of her mind, she knew she'd been fine. Severus stole her lips in a fast but fierce kiss, before his mouth began to attack her neck. He was biting a little more severely than normal, and she expected that he was leaving marks all over her as his mouth began to travel downwards to her breast. When he latched on she cried out, the pain a bit too much there.

He abruptly stopped biting it and laved it better with his tongue. Hermione realised with a start that he was turning her on, and she began to worry herself, wondering if she was a masochist.

_Not a masochist, it's me, I'm irresistible._

It took everything Hermione had to not snort at his words, especially with the amusing tone he had reflected. Thankfully he took away her difficulty by taking away all her concentration as his mouth found her clit. She came within seconds, bucking up involuntarily.

"That's a good little slut," Severus smirked. "Now undress me."

He climbed off her and stood up and she followed, standing in front of him as she slowly stripping him. She went onto her knees to divest him of his trousers, and was a little surprised to realise that he wasn't wearing any underwear. His erection popped out at her and he gestured towards it. She instantly engulfed it in her mouth, and began to bob up and down, using her tongue and her teeth to her advantage.

"Enough," he said after a minute. "Get on all fours like the dog you are."

Hermione obeyed, and she felt him press against her as he got down on his knees behind her. She unconsciously lifted her ass up, asking for him to enter her as her need had begun to build to drastic levels. She was passed the train of thought now, forgetting that there were Death Eaters watching her, and instead she focussed on her and Severus, one of the best lovers she had ever had.

He slid into her in one swift movement, and then began to dominant her, his thrusts reaching for his own pleasure, not hers. As it was, Hermione couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of him inside her, especially when he grazed her pleasure point perfectly. She was crying out for release when he suddenly slammed deep inside her, causing the tightening to loosen and her to come, almost collapsing on the floor. She would have done if he hadn't have smacked her ass hard, jolting her back to attention with the pain.

To her embarrassment it turned her on more.

_You're being wonderful…_ his words were broken up by his breathlessness as he continued to fuck her intently, putting on a performance for a friends but secretly revelling in taking her once more. _I'm going to have to take you the other way and without preparation._

She tensed up around him and he quickly sought the words to comfort her.

_I will cast a lubrication charm wordlessly, okay? And I'll try and make it as painless as possible. You'll enjoy it eventually._

Hermione tried to relax but she couldn't. Severus smacked her ass a couple more times and she felt herself get turned on more, but she couldn't let go.

_Do you remember the first time I played with you? Draco was watching us…and you came right in my hands. You loved it, didn't you?_

He was toying with her, bringing up that memory. It was her most sexual memory and the one she used to fantasise about, and she expected he knew that. It was working though, as he spoke those dirty words in her head she could feel the pleasure building up once more.

He pressed a finger against her anus, but she was too close to the edge to care. He circled it lightly.

"Keep fucking me, whore," he spoke out loud.

Whilst he stopped moving his hips, she continued to move herself forwards and backwards, seeking out her pleasure like a true wanton slut. Meanwhile, he stuck his finger in his mouth and then slowly pushing his finger into her anus, feeling the tight hole and remembering what it was like to take it. It took everything he had to not come at that moment, but he managed to calm himself down enough so he could continue.

She was getting close now, her words now mumblings apart from her exclamations of pleasure and when he pushed his finger in all the way she came, shuddering around him with more intensity than he had ever felt before. Severus cast a wandless lubrication charm and felt her hole slicken around his finger before he quickly removed his finger and took advantage of her pleasured and relaxed state to slam into her ass.

She cried out and tried to crawl away, but he grabbed hold of her firmly and held her in place.

_Shush, baby, shush. I know it hurts but it will go away soon, I promise._

Hermione heard his words and stopped moving away, though she was still aware of the pain in her ass and the tears falling as a result of that. He kept projecting soothing words into her head as he began to thrust in and out. Several thrusts later and the pleasure hadn't come yet, and she was beginning to sob.

"Stop crying!" He ordered. To her credit, she did try to stop, and although she fell silent he knew she was still crying and it hurt him deeply to know that he was the cause of it. He felt like joining her in her crying but he knew that he had to keep up the façade and instead he sighed loudly as if she were annoying him before reaching round her and placing his finger on her clit.

A couple of rubs later and she came, the crying stopping finally as he began to thrust faster, although not deeper. It was only a couple of thrusts later than he came, unable to hold on any more and barely able to keep his erection up knowing that she was crying.

He hated himself.

When Lucius had first informed him of the plan to get his son back on side, Severus was appalled, to say the very least. However, as Lucius wove out his plan, it became obvious that he would do whatever to any person he met until he achieved his aim. Severus had to agree to join, only because he knew that he had already staked a claim on Hermione and that when this situation arose it would hurt less if he were the one to do it. It didn't make him feel any better though, especially when he pulled out and saw blood on his wilting penis.

"Excuse me," he blurted out as he rushed over to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him as he barely managed to make it to the toilet in time as the contents of his stomach made a reappearance. He stood up on his shaking legs and switched on the shower as hot as it would go – not caring that it scorched his skin when he stepped in it. Never before had he felt like this. When he was an initiate he didn't particularly enjoy raping muggles and muggle-borns but he did what was necessary to gain entry, but this was truly sickening. Only weeks before had he declared his love for the brown-haired witch, and now he had ruined her beyond measure.

To his surprise he felt tears running down his face but he let them fall, mingling with the water from the shower which was slightly pink from the blood. He shut his eyes, but opened them again when the water cooled down to a manageable temperature.

"Hey," Hermione said softly, looking at him from outside the shower. "Can I come in?"

He had just violated her and she was asking permission to be near her? What was wrong with her?

When there wasn't an answer, the stubborn witch stepped into the shower and turned the water up so that whatever was said couldn't be heard from outside the little cubicle.

"You can stop crying, you know," Hermione said, her tone accusing. "I don't blame you for what you did. It was necessary."

"Are you even aware of what happened?" Severus yelled. "I just fucking raped you."

"No, you didn't," Hermione said firmly, although her legs were shaking from the pain she still had. "I don't constitute willingness for rape, do you?"

"You didn't want to," Severus' voice faltered.

"The only part I didn't want to do was anal and believe me, if I was really that appalled by the actions that you had done I wouldn't be here now," Hermione hugged him tightly. "I still love you."

"Don't say that!" Severus pushed her away. His eyes were fearful almost terrified as he looked at her. He felt his heart soar at her words but he tried to suppress it with the memory of what he had done.

"Why? I love you, Severus Snape, and you'd better deal with that," Hermione was angry now. "The only reason why that was okay with me was because it was you! Don't you dare turn your back on me, you fucking ass."

Hermione was breathing heavily, her chest heaving and her eyes flashing. Severus looked at the fear-invoking, beautiful witch and couldn't help himself. His erection sprung back to life and he pulled her close, capturing her lips with his as he began to press against her.

"Oh, god, Severus, we shouldn't," Hermione tried to plead with him, too tired to go again, but it was to no avail. As soon as his fingers slipped inside her she was lost to his will, her body heated up by his touch.

She lost herself to the sensations as he entered her once more, and he began to take her slowly but passionately, the kisses he placed all over her face and neck declared love as the water washed away the sins of before.

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><p>Draco was annoyed. Ginny had tried her feminine wiles on a male waiter called John, and Blaise had tried to flirt with the busty blonde waitress called Phoebe or something like that. Although Ginny had managed to find out that Hermione did in fact leave work on the day she went missing, they were at a solid dead end. It was now Sunday evening and they had to head back to Hogwarts, ready for the lessons the next day.<p>

As they were getting ready to depart, there was a loud crack of the sound of apparation and Draco was stunned into silence when a house-elf that belonged to the Malfoy kitchen appeared in front of him and began to pull at her ears desperately. He wracked his brain for her name. Isle? Isla? Else? Elsa!

"Elsa, what's wrong?" Draco asked the little house-elf.

"Mister Malfoy is doing bad things!" She squealed.

"What am I doing wrong?" Draco asked bemused.

"Not you, older Master Malfoy!"

"Father?" Draco said astonished. "But he's dead!"

"No, no, no, no," Elsa wrung her wrists desperately. "Master knew his Master was falling so he talks to all of his friends and they make a plan to send other people into battle disguised as them!"

"Oh, shit," Blaise looked wide-eyed at Elsa. "This is bad news."

"What's he doing?" Draco asked Elsa urgently.

"He has Mistress Hermione and he sent a good but bad man in her room to do nasty things to her!" Elsa cried out.

Draco's face drained of colour at her words and he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

"Can you get Hermione to us?" Ginny asked the house-elf.

"Mistress Hermione cannot apparate because she has no magic!" Elsa explained.

"Elsa, do you know how we can get her magic back to her?" Harry asked, recalling that house-elves were not bound by the same magic as witches and wizards.

"A sacrifice," Elsa said softly. "One who has powerful magic but they cannot know about it."

"Would you be able to perform the spell to give her magic?"

"Yes, but I need a sacrifice," Elsa answered. "I have it!"

The house-elf did a little lively jig on the floor before disapparately, leaving the four of them stunned into sudden silence.

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><p>Hermione stretched out on the bed, turning her face up to the early sun's rays which filtered through the window. She knew that Severus had left and that he had dismissed her as a little whore, but she also remembered the way he touched her when they were alone in the shower, and she knew that he loved her still.<p>

"Hello, darling," Narcissa's voice ruined her happy memory. "How are you this morning? Sore, I would imagine after what Severus did to you."

"I'm sure you would know," Hermione said calmly. "Ahh, those lovely revels."

Narcissa paled slightly but kept her head up high. There was a moment where they faced each other down, before Narcissa stood up.

"I hope you enjoy having a sore ass," her pureblood voice clipped at the words. "I'm going to go and fuck Severus now whilst my husband watches. I hope you think of him and me together and that it gives you great pain because he was mine first and I intend to keep him."

"You're more than welcome to him," Hermione smiled brightly at her, giving the illusion that she was perfectly calm about the whole situation even though she was crying out inside.

Narcissa bowed her head and went to leave the room, but Elsa popped in and bound Narcissa.

"Elsa, what are you doing?" Hermione gasped.

"I am no longer bound to this family," Elsa said firmly. "I don't have to obey their orders. Master Malfoy freed me."

She proudly displayed a small piece of green material on her clothes and Hermione's heart stuttered.

"Draco?"

"He didn't realise but his cloak had torn and the piece was fluttering through the air and I grabbed it," Elsa said.

Suddenly Elsa froze Hermione too, before she moved the two women side by side, making sure that they were touching. Elsa began to chant in a language that Hermione had never heard before, and tendrils of silver and black began to twist around them, entering Narcissa and then Hermione. As each tendril left Narcissa, she looked weaker but Hermione was filled with a renewed strength. As the final tendril entered her, she breathed deeply and found she could move again.

"Elsa, what did you do?" Hermione asked.

"I gave you Mistress's magic," Elsa smiled at her.

"Narcissa isn't magic?" Hermione looked at the horrified expression on the blonde's face and started laughing.

One of Voldemort's most powerful, influential and pure-blooded families was now tainted because of Narcissa's lack of magic. She couldn't stop laughing, imagining Lucius's face when he found out.

"If Mistress Hermione wants, I can take you away?" Elsa offered. "Master didn't place any wards on you because you couldn't do magic."

"Oh, Elsa, how can I ever repay you?" Hermione asked as she took Elsa's hand.

"Let me come and work for you when you have your own magical house," Elsa asked.

"I don't believe that house-elves should be forced into doing labour," Hermione hesitated.

"How about I works at Hogwarts then?" Elsa brightened. "I can sees Dobby."

"Yes, you can," Hermione smiled at her. "Thank you so much, Elsa."

Elsa warned Hermione to close her eyes and then she sucked them into the vortex that transported them to another place. Hermione hit the floor hard and didn't open her eyes until she was less winded and had a better grasp on gravity again. When she did, she found herself in Hagrid's hut.

"Elsa, you can't apparate inside Hogwarts," Hermione began.

"No, miss, witches and wizards can't apparate inside the grounds, house-elves can," Elsa said simply.

At that moment the door to Hagrid's hut opened and Hermione was almost crushed by the half-giant as he grabbed hold of her tightly.

"'Mione, where ya been?" Hagrid asked, wiping away large tears that had escaped from his eyes. "We've been worried!"

"Sorry, Hagrid, long story, I need to get to see the headmaster," Hermione said quickly, managing to get out of Hagrid's grasp. "I'll explain later!"

She dashed out of Hagrid's hut and hurried up to the castle. When she reached there she pushed open the large door and the foyer was silent. No one was around. She looked up at the giant magical clock that hung above the entrance to the Great Hall and realised that everyone was still in bed.

Draco.

She ran blindly up the stairs, sprinting along the corridors and causing several portraits to yell angrily after her for disturbing them but she was too focussed on finding Draco. She shouted the password at the painted version of herself, who seemed rather disgruntled, before running into the living room. It was six o'clock in the morning but Draco was already awake, looking rather dreadful, if she were to be honest, and he was nursing a cup of tea.

"Draco," she breathed.

"Hermione," He blinked at her, not quite believing that she was there.

"Elsa helped me escape," Hermione stepped towards him, feeling slightly awkward from the way he was staring at her so intently. "I came straight here to find you."

He put down the cup of tea, stepped around the table and then crushed her against him in a bear hug, refusing to let go in case she disappeared again.

"Draco, hun, I can't breathe," Hermione gasped out, and he let go, staring up at her with tears cascading down his face.

"I can't believe you're back," He whispered. "I thought I was never going to see you again. What happened? Elsa told me about some man coming into your room."

"Why don't you come with me?" Hermione suggested. "I need to tell Dumbledore and you should hear what happened too."

He nodded, running a hand through his hair to make to look neater (which was unsuccessful) and then they left together to go and talk to Dumbledore.

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><p>:


	18. Chapter 17

Here's another chapter – we apologise for the nature of the last chapter. It was rather dark and if anyone found it disturbing, please accept our condolences.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO PUT UP THE NEXT CHAPTER UNLESS WE GET 5 REVIEWS! So press the little review button at the end and type a few words…it's not that difficult….

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Hermione guessed the password to the gargoyle after about six tries and when it stepped aside she hesitated before walking up the stone steps, Draco trailing her every step like a loyal dog. She knocked on the oak door and when the door swung open, she found herself face to face with none other than Harry.

"Hermione?" He gasped out.

"Hermione?" Ginny barged her way past him and then hugged her tightly. "Where have you been? We've been so worried about you!"

"I'm just about to tell Dumbledore," Hermione unlatched Ginny's arms from around her neck before stepped forward to look at the headmaster. "What I'm about to say will interest him. Harry, Ginny, you may stay if you wish."

Harry caught the serious look in her eye and shepherded Ginny over to one of the chairs by the side, standing behind her with his hands gently resting on her shoulders. It made Hermione smile to see one of Ginny's hands reach up and clasped his hand. Hermione took the seat in front of Dumbledore, who looked at her quizzically.

"I trust you are well, Miss Granger?" He enquired.

"As well as can be, although I do believe I will need to visit Madam Pomfrey soon," Hermione answered.

She saw Draco tense up in the seat next to her but chose to ignore him.

"Headmaster, several Death Eaters have banded together and are fast on their way to another uprising," Hermione began. "At the head of it all, from what I can gather is Lucius Malfoy."

"Ahh," Dumbledore momentarily closed his eyes. "So he found a way past it then?"

"Polyjuiced other people," Harry filled in. "Elsa told us."

"Elsa?" Hermione turned to the headmaster. "There is a new house-elf in your kitchens by the name of Elsa. Please treat her with the utmost respect because she saved my life. Anyway, Pansy's father is there too, along with Macnair, Nott, Avery, etc. Now, Severus Snape is also there."

"What?" Draco faltered.

"He's alive, Draco, and he saved my life," Hermione sighed.

With a rather dull voice she filled in the events of the last week, including her performance and giving a small amount of detail of what she and Severus had done and why, but spared the details.

"He hated himself for it," Hermione said in conclusion. "I knew it instantly."

"Why did Snape have to do it?" Harry asked.

"Harry, if anyone else had got their hands on Hermione, she wouldn't even be able to walk from what they'd do to her," Ginny said softly to him.

Hermione sighed and sat back in her chair, almost afraid to look at Draco knowing that he knew everything that had happened. When she did, he looked at her and tentatively smiled. She tried to smile back but the feeling was wrong so she gave up, focussing her attentions on Dumbledore instead.

"So what's the plan then? Get the Order back together?" Hermione asked.

"I cannot call all the members of the Order together without a due cause," Dumbledore said.

"With all respect, sir, we have several former Death Eaters plotting to take over the wizarding world! I think that's a good enough reason to get the Order back together again!" Hermione tried to control her anger but it was difficult.

"Yes, but Hermione, the account of a nineteen year old who was under considerable duress whilst there does not count as a credible source."

"Please tell me you're joking!" Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "How about the fact that they kidnapped me, tortured me with the cruciatus curse and they were perfectly fine with sending someone in to rape me!"

Hermione looked at Dumbledore for a moment more before she growled angrily and funnelled her anger towards a glass crystal in the corner of his office. It exploded, showering the occupants with extremely small amounts of glass.

"Reparo," Hermione waved her hand in the direction of where the crystal was and it reformed. "Oh yeah, Elsa gave me my magic back too. Who has my wand?"

"Luke," Ginny answered when no-one else would.

"Cool, come on, Draco, let's go get my wand," Hermione said, storming out of the room and dragging a stunned Draco along with her.

As soon as the door was shut Harry went to round on Dumbledore, but Ginny got there first.

"How dare you say that to her? You cannot even contemplate what she's been through but you automatically think that she's going to be okay for some unknown reason. She was tortured, in case you hadn't realised! And how could you discredit her report? She's the smartest witch you have ever fucking seen and she deserves your respect, you asshole!"

Harry, realising that Ginny was getting herself into a lot of trouble intervened and carried her out of the room.

"I'll be writing to your mother, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore called.

"So will I, you old fart!"

Dumbledore sighed at Ginny's words and felt suddenly old. It was difficult dealing with the new generation of Weasleys, but they did need to learn respect. He reached for a quill and a piece of parchment and proceeded to write a letter.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Draco apparated in her parents' home, startling her mother in the kitchen who dropped something heavy on the floor. From the accompanying crescendo of sound, Hermione believed that it had smashed. She quickly moved into the kitchen, where her mother was stood there muttering angrily at the broken porcelain dish that was lying in pieces on the floor.<p>

"Hey Mum," Hermione greeted her.

"Hermione?" Jessie turned around and promptly chastised her daughter. "Where have you been?"

"I was kidnapped," Hermione signed, and quickly reiterated the events of the past week to her shocked mother, who ended up in one of the chairs before the story was over.

"This is why you should have stayed at Hogwarts! At least there you're safe," Jessie exclaimed, before her tone lessened to thank Draco who had repaired the dish.

"I know, Mum, but on the plus side I have my magic back," Hermione beamed. "I met a house-elf called Elsa and she transferred the magic from my captor into me so I have it back. Thankfully."

"Oh, well that's brilliant," Jessie smiled, her enthusiasm matching her daughter's. "Oh, Hermione, what are they going to do about your captors? I guess you have told the authorities."

"Um, Dumbledore doesn't think there is any need for prosecution because my word isn't enough proof."

"You're joking, aren't you?" Jessie stood back up. "He doesn't trust you?"

"Pretty much," Draco intervened. "He's being an asshole, please excuse my language there."

"That's okay, love," Jessie patted him in the arm before turning back to Hermione. "So where are you off to now?"

"I'm going to get my wand and my stuff from my friend's and then we're going back to Hogwarts," Hermione answered.

"Well, be careful, and don't leave Draco's side," Jessie gave her a quick hug before lightly squeezing Draco. "Let me know when you're back at Hogwarts."

She turned back to her drying and left the two teenagers to leave, walking along the road to Luke's. Draco was surprised at how close it was, and he had to force himself to not turn up his nose when they walked up the slightly dingy stairway that led to Luke's. Hermione banged on the door and it was opened by a tired looking Luke, who's face lit up when he realised who it was.

"Hermione, baby!" He lifted her off her feet in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Luke, I can't breathe," Hermione choked out, and Luke put her down, his smile fading at the sight of Draco. "Luke, this is Draco, my boyfriend."

"Yeah, I know, we've met," Luke said stiffly. "He came to see me with his friends to find out where you were."

"Did he, now?" Hermione looked at Draco. "Draco, were you mean?"

"No, I was snappy," Draco said defensively. "I was worried about you."

"Well, grow up guys and get over it," Hermione sighed. "Now, Luke, do you have my stuff? I need to grab it then get back to school."

"Sure, let me just grab it," Luke disappeared into the flat for a moment before bringing her rucksack back. "Here. Make sure you keep in contact, yeah? If you're ever at your Mum's, make sure you come round to see me?"

"Absolutely," Hermione agreed. "Thank you so much for looking after me and letting me stay."

"Any time," Luke said a little sadly, as they bade him goodbye and left.

Hermione felt a slight pang in her heart as she looked at Luke, who had been there for her when she really needed him, and he'd never asked for anything back. However, she needed to go back to her life at school, and unfortunately, whilst he would always be there, it was unlikely that she'd ever spend much time with him again.

As they walked to an apparation point, Hermione pondered just how much her friends meant to her. Who would she be without her friends? Probably not much, she realised. As she thought of her friends she smiled, and Draco caught her grin in the morning light.

"What are you smiling at?" He asked.

"Just thinking about how much everyone means to me," Hermione answered honestly. " I have Ginny and Pansy in particular for my girl time, you as my adored lover and Blaise and Harry as my surrogate brothers. I love it."

"Well, I'm pretty certain that if you asked any of them how they felt about you, they'd say the same thing," Draco stopped and grabbed hold of her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. "Hermione, I love you with all my heart and I can't believe I have you. Do you have any idea how I felt when I realised you had run away? And then to hear that you are coming back, only to find out that you've been taken away from me? And that the people who had tortured you were my parents? I don't know how you can still want to be with me after experiencing what my parents did to you."

"Draco, there's something I have to tell you," Hermione hesitated. "Well, two things actually. The collar is gone."

Draco's eyes grew wide at that as he tilted up her chin and saw that it was gone. "How? I thought it couldn't be removed."

"Apparently Malfoy tradition dictates that if the father believes that the heir hasn't made a suitable choice, then he had the chance to remove the bond," Hermione said bitterly. "I don't think your father approves."

"So? I don't give a shit, I love you and he can go jump off a cliff," Draco said, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Sweetheart, he'll just cast a cushioning charm at the bottom," Hermione joked slightly before growing serious once more. "The other thing I need to tell you. You know Elsa had to take magic from someone to give to me? Well, it was your Mother."

Draco froze in shock. Hermione waited, her heart beat racing at the fear of what he might say.

"So my Mother's a squib?" Draco studied her face before he started laughing. "That's hilarious."

"You're not angry?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Of course, I'm not!" Draco chuckled. "She deserved it anyway. Now, come on, love, let's get back to school."

He took hold of her hand and they apparated away to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat down on the sofa with a loud sigh. She was the only one in the headquarters and she was extremely grateful for that. All throughout the day people had been questioning her on her absence, to which she gave the cover story that her Aunt was gravely ill. As far as she was concerned, they didn't need to know anything that had happened. After a series of one-word answers and rather nasty looks to the quizzers, the pupils began to leave her alone, realising that she wasn't willing to divulge anything more about her 'ill Aunt'.<p>

Just as she was stretching out on the sofa, the portrait opened and Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Teddy, Neville, Luna and Millie all piled in, disrupting her peace and quiet. Although she was glad to see them all again, she couldn't help but wish that they would leave her alone for at least the night so she could rest.

"I already took the liberty of telling them what had happened in general beforehand," Draco explained. "I figured they should be the ones to know the true story."

"Yeah, thanks, Draco, at least I don't have to go through it all again," Hermione smiled at him.

As soon as she stopped speaking there was a barrage of questions from everyone, which she attempted to answer as well as she could. One voice broke through the cacophony though.

"Is my father still alive?"

Hermione looked at a pale Pansy and felt strickened. In her delight at coming home and the surprise of seeing Severus alive, she had completely forgotten about Pansy and her father. Her heart plummeted as she nodded once, recalling the thin face that had exactly the same nose as Pansy.

"I'm so sorry, Pans," Hermione apologised, but Pansy merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Shit happens," Pansy said coldly.

"So what's going to happen about this new uprising?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said, much to his surprise. "Dumbledore claims that he doesn't believe me."

"Ha, asshole," Ginny swore, and Harry grinned at her words.

"You should have heard Ginny after you two left. She went ballistic at him, calling him things like asshole and old fart. It was brilliant," Harry beamed proudly at his red-haired girlfriend.

"He deserved it," Ginny mumbled, slightly red under everyone's stares.

"Hell, yeah!" Teddy shouted and everyone cheered.

"So when are we going to go and kill the fuckers?" Blaise questioned, looking around at the group.

"Blaise, that's not a good idea," Hermione sighed, her head overruling her heart. "Though I really do wish we could kill them."

"Why not?" Harry interjected. "We could handle them."

"Yes, we probably could, but you lot have to remember that there's family members there," Hermione said. "Teddy, Pansy and Draco all have fathers there, and the rest of them are Slytherin relatives. It wouldn't be fair on them to have to face their fathers."

"I could kill mine," Pansy said. "I've done it before and I'll do it again."

"I definitely want to kill mine," Draco growled. "He tortured my girlfriend. He can die."

"My father isn't exactly my favourite person in the world, either," Teddy sighed. "I don't think I could kill him but I reckon I would be able to fend him off long enough for someone else to do it."

"If we were to do this, we need to remember that we're supposed to capture them," Ginny, the voice of reason, spoke up. "We can't have the deaths of men on our hands. I know some of us do already, and we are troubled by that on a regular basis, but we don't want everyone else to have to suffer through that."

"I want to do it," Pansy said.

"Me too," Blaise agreed.

Hermione could only look on as her friends calmly agreed to this madness one by one. Even the mild mannered Neville and Luna agreed to it, but then again they had always been ready for a battle.

"Hermione, you're the only one left," Millie pointed out. "Are you in or not? We will go without you."

"God, fine, I'll have to talk to Elsa," Hermione stood up. "If we're going to attack them, we need to do it correctly and efficiently. Do it at about three in the morning because they'll be in bed and it will take them longer to get organised. I propose that we try and get house-elves to apparate us in and then we can take the rest from there."

"We should be in three groups of three and one pair, and no one should be with their partner, or they'll get too concerned with helping their partner rather than actually fighting," Luna contributed.

"That's a brilliant idea," Hermione nodded at her in appreciation. "Really good, Luna."

"The two should be Harry and Hermione," Millie said. "Purely because they are the two best duellers and have been in a battle before."

"So have I!" Ron said indignantly.

"Yes, but you tend to make stupid decisions, Ronald," Ginny spoke up. "And remember, me, Luna and Neville have all been in every large battle you, Harry and Hermione have been in. And it is no secret that Harry is by far the best dueller here, but Hermione is so knowledgeable that she'll be best with him."

"So Harry and Hermione together," Pansy looked around, pursing her lips. "Teddy, Blaise and Luna. Neville, Ron and Millie. Which leaves me, Draco and Ginny."

"Sounds good to me," Draco stood up. "Now, we should quickly allocate positions. I personally believe that Hermione should act as our final decision maker."

"Millie should be our strategist," Teddy suggested. "Her father was You-Know-Who's battle field expert and she picked up a lot from him."

"What about a healer?" Ron asked. "I don't know anyone here who is prolific with healing."

"Actually, Ginny is pretty good," Harry said. "I vote Ginny."

"Bring back the DA Galleon so that we can contact in battle," Neville perked up. "And we should all learn basic healing charms so we can help a little bit for minor wounds and burns."

"Good idea," Hermione stretched and felt her back crack. "Right, now we've sorted this, we'll arrange to go in a week from today. Now, please don't take offense from this but I'm knackered, my back aches and I want to go to bed so please fuck off."

"Remember to read up on your spells," Luna said as they walked out the door. "Defensive, offensive and healing."

The portrait shut behind the babble of students and Hermione groaned, sinking down into the comfort of the sofa. Draco offered to make some hot chocolate, but Hermione refused, instead opting to head for her bed, making a mental note to hop in the shower first thing in the morning. She vaguely recalled the large amount of work she had to catch up on, but for once she really didn't care. She knew most of the stuff anyway; reading ahead has its benefits sometimes.

When she stripped her clothes off, throwing them on the floor in her haste to get into bed, she didn't even realise that Draco had followed her in and dutifully picked up her clothes, folding up her skirt and shirt ready for the next day before going to her chest of drawers and picking out some underwear for her along with some pantyhose. When he looked back at the bed, he was astonished to find her already asleep. He placed her clothes carefully on the dresser before undressing and climbing into bed next to her, revelling in the feeling of having her in his arms once more after far too long.

* * *

><p>The day before they were set to leave, Hermione found herself a little annoyed by Ginny and Pansy, who kept talking together with their heads bowed, only to stop when she walked near. She became so annoyed by it that she stopped talking to them full stop, believing them to be childish and uncouth in their behaviour.<p>

At lunch that day, she sat by herself, but as soon as Pansy and Ginny entered the hall they sat down next to her.

"Alright, Hermione?" Pansy asked her, leaning across to reach the bread.

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me?" Hermione couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"You see, we've been planning a surprise for you," Ginny winked. "With our little excursion tomorrow, it's possible that some of us might come back injured or worse so we've made sure that the three of us get to perform together one last time. As in, now."

"What the hell?" Hermione realised they were both completely serious. "Without a rehearsal?"

"You love this song though and we've seen you dance around to it numerous times," Pansy said. "Hold still a second."

She waved her wand over Hermione, causing her clothes to transform into a pair of tight blue jeans, a white cut off top with a leather jacket, before waving it over her face, giving her dark eyes and red lips, along with making her hair ruffled but sexy, before making herself and Ginny look similar.

"Judas by Lady Gaga," Pansy informed her before the music started. "Gin and I have a dance but you can do whatever you like, we'll work it around you. We'll also be back-up vocals, although I call the bit about the whore, okay?"

"Okay," Hermione was so confused that she couldn't do anything but agree.

When the music played, Ginny and Pansy hauled her up out of her seat and got into position. Hermione felt her heart beat increase from the pressure of performing, let alone performing without a rehearsal, but when her time came to sing her voice was steady.

_Woah woah woah woah woah  
>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas GaGa_  
><em>Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas GaGa<em>

_When he calls to me, I am ready_  
><em>I'll wash his feet with my hair if he needs<em>  
><em>Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain<em>  
><em>Even after three times, he betrays me<em>

_Ah-ah-ahhh-ow uh uh o_  
><em>Ah-ah-ahhh-ow uh uh o<em>  
><em>I'll bring him down, bring him down, down<em>  
><em>A king with no crown, king with no crown<em>

_I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel_  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>  
><em>I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel<em>  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas GaGa_

_I couldn't love a man so purely_  
><em>Even prophets forgave his goofy way<em>  
><em>I've learned love is like a brick, you can<em>  
><em>Build a house or sink a dead body<em>  
><em>I'll bring him down, bring him down, down<em>  
><em>A king with no crown, king with no crown<em>

_I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel_  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>  
><em>I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel<em>  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

Throughout those lyrics, Hermione was aware of Pansy and Ginny dancing around her, and the rest of the school clapping and cheering as she walked along the gap between the tables, moving her hips every so often. When the musical interlude came, she began to dance, realising that Pansy and Ginny had a very similar dance to what she was doing. They had clearly observed her whilst she was dancing along to it before and had incorporated her moves into their dance. She moved back to the two of them in time for Pansy to step forward and sing her bit.

_In the most Biblical sense,  
>I am beyond repentance<br>Fame, hooker, prostitute wench vomits her mind  
>But in the cultural sense<br>I just speak in future tense  
>Judas kiss me if offensed,<br>Or wear ear condom next time_

Hermione took the reins back to finish off the song, whilst Ginny and Pansy continued to dance.

_I wanna love you,  
>But something's pulling me away from you<br>Jesus is my virtue,  
>Judas is the demon I cling to<br>I cling to_

_I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel_  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>  
><em>I'm just a Holy fool, oh baby it's so cruel<em>  
><em>But I'm still in love with Judas, baby<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Woah woah woah woah woah_  
><em>I'm in love with Juda-as, Juda-as<em>

_Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas Juda-ah-as, Judas GaGa_

On the very last line they all sang together, and when the music stopped and the applauding started, they hugged one another in a massive group hug, and Hermione was stunned to find tears falling down her eyes at the sentimentality of the two girls. Hermione wasn't willing to let go of her girls, and they held hands as they looked out over the swarm of students, locating the faces of those who would be fighting beside them the next day.

As Hermione switched from face to face, she couldn't help but wonder just who would be coming back.

0-0-0-0

**A/N: **The suspense! The war heroes taking things into their own hands…


	19. Author's Rant  READ!

Little rant from the Author (btw this is all Adrian, nothing to do with Becky...she does it for the writing, I do it for the reviews and the knowledge that people are enjoying the story)

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><p>Guys, seriously….reviews? What happened? We had 15 reviews for one chapter and now it's down to 3 reviews. We know that more than 3 people read this story…it's not that's difficult to press the button and type a few words…it's annoying really!<p>

If we don't get 2 more reviews for the last chapter, we are NOT UPDATING!

Note from Becky: Sorry for the rant, Adrian's mad as a hatter.


	20. Chapter 18

Okay, well here I am (it's Becky btw) with another chapter because we finally got the 5 reviews (Adrian's cheering). Right, in future, please review? Once again, the more reviews we get, the quicker we update so review more! Any less than 5 reviews and no update...

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><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

That evening, the whole group got together in the headquarters to discuss the final preparations.

"We have to face the fact that some of us may not come back alive," Hermione said, seeing the fleeting panic on their faces as they glanced at those who were closest to them. "Yes, I know it is harsh, but it's one of the dangers that all of you agreed to when you decided to go up against a bunch of ex-Death Eaters who are much more skilled and know a heck of a lot more spells than us. They will cast to severely hurt you, cripple you or kill you. Now is your final chance to back out. If you do not wish to partake in this, please say so. None of us will think less of you if you do."

There was an uneasy silence as everyone looked around, wondering if anyone was going to back out. Hermione was silent for a moment, but no one spoke up.

"Okay, good, glad you're all feeling brave," Hermione clapped her hands together. "Now, remember, we have to meet at 2am tomorrow in the entrance hall. Try and rest tonight, and spend time with your loved ones. If any of you wish to stay here, you are welcome to; we can transfigure things into beds."

Blaise and Pansy opted instantly to stay behind, and Draco offered them use of his room since he would be sleeping in Hermione's as always. Ron and Teddy decided to stay as well, but the rest all left to go to their respective dorms.

"Okay, guys, time for bed I think," Hermione stretched and led Draco by the hand into her bedroom. She quickly transfigured the sofa into a double bed, knowing that Teddy and Ron would prefer that over separate beds. At the same time, Pansy and Blaise headed off into Draco's room, and once Hermione and Draco were in her room, the door shut and the silencing charm up, Draco sighed.

"I'm going to have to change my sheets," Draco groaned. "Pansy's sadistic when it comes to frantic sex."

"Is she?" Hermione was surprised.

"Yeah, she plays with whips, chains and knives," Draco looked off in the distance before shuddering. "She's like my goddamn sister, I so do not need to know that!"

"I can think of something to keep your mind off that," Hermione said quietly, as she began to take off her clothes.

Draco licked his lips, which were suddenly dry. They hadn't had sex since before Hermione collapsed, and that was almost two months ago. She had been too tired and he too caught up in organising the skirmish for them to even think about sex.

"I've missed you," she breathed as she pressed her now naked body up against his clothed one.

"And I've missed you," he kissed her passionately, running his hands over her body.

"Is that your wand in your pocket or are you excited to see me?" She asked playfully, referring to his painful arousal.

"Excited," Draco growled, undoing his pants, dropping them to the floor before he turned his attention to her body, his hand skimming down her side to her core, his fingers sliding easily in due to her wetness.

"Turned on much, are we?" He bit her neck, causing her to moan.

"So are you," She panted as he played with her, thrusting his fingers in and out. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Draco, take me already!"

He agreed with her urge and he spun her around, bending her over so she was braced against the door and then thrust deep inside her, causing her to let out a loud keening sound as she came instantly, the feeling of having him inside her too much to bear. Draco had to stay still and think of some rather horrid thoughts (McGonagall in a bikini) to stop himself from coming then and there. After a couple of seconds of recovery Hermione began to thrust back against him, and he proceeded to ravage her, taking her hard, long and fast like their bodies cried out for. He kept one ear on her moans, making sure that he didn't end up hurting her but her cries were constant pleasure.

"Come for me," he bent over her and whispered in her ear, feeling himself close to edge.

His words alone were enough to make her come and this time he followed her, falling over the edge as she screamed out his name so loud that he feared that the silencing charm wouldn't hold. When he felt as if he were going to collapse he pulled out and then took her over to the bed, wrapping her up in his arms and then they both fell asleep, both sated and happy, their dreams only filled of the future.

Hermione woke up sometime during the night with a dry throat. She peered at her clock and saw that it was slightly after midnight. She sighed and threw her head back on the pillow, before slowing detaching herself from Draco, who was firmly snuggled up to her. She tiptoed across to the bathroom, grabbed her nice dressing robe (the one that she thought was quite sexy as well as being silky to the touch) and then headed out into the kitchen. She was a quiet as a mouse, even when pouring the water so she wouldn't wake up Teddy or Ron and when she had drunk her glass of water she put it carefully on the side.

"Teddy, why not?" Ron's voice came angrily from the sofa/bed.

"Because I don't want this to be the reason why you want to give up your virginity!" Teddy answered in a hushed voice.

Hermione ducked behind the counter just as Ron cast lumos so he could see his partner's face.

"I want to know what it's like to be with you completely," Ron said softly. "One of us might die tomorrow and I don't want either of us to go without experiencing one another."

"We're not going to die!" there was a slight squeak and Hermione believed that one of them had got up from the bed.

When she heard light footsteps coming over to the kitchen she flinched, expecting to be caught but Teddy reached over to put on the smaller light so there was enough light in the room before he turned and walked back to the bed. She let out a silent breath of relief.

"You sure you want to do this?" Teddy asked seriously.

"Absolutely, Teddy, I love you!"

Hermione heard the exclamation and then Ron's intake of breath and she wondered if that was the first time that it had been said aloud. She highly expected it was.

"I love you too," Teddy's voice was surprisingly strong.

There were kissing sounds and Hermione covered her ears, trying to block out the sound. Admittedly it was rather unsuccessful, especially when Ron started moaning.

"Relax," Teddy's voice, although quiet, broke through her useless shield.

She heard Ron cry out, and she wondered what stage they were at. Even though it was Teddy and Ron (Ron! Of all people!), she couldn't help but be curious about how they were going to do. She shifted so that she could peek out the side, ever so slowly, and by the time she worked up the courage to look, Ron let out a little moan and she was assaulted by the sight of Teddy pushing his way inside Ron.

She put her hand over her mouth to stop the cry that was threatening its way to the surface, but no matter what she couldn't stop watching. It felt like when she had walked in on her friend having sex last summer and she just couldn't stop staring – it was so awkward but interesting. Ron was letting out louder and louder moans now as Teddy thrusted into him, and Hermione had the foresight to do what neither of them had done and cast a silencing charm to allow the occupants of the other room to remain sleeping.

She closed her eyes when Teddy joined in the cacophony of sounds – it was Ron's cries of pleasure, Teddy's low grunting and then the slapping of their skin together – but she had to look again. Unfortunately it was when Ron came everywhere, all over the covers, and she felt a little like puking at that moment, the spell broken. She didn't watch Teddy come, but she certainly heard it. She hid when Teddy switched off the light and she sat there frozen until she heard snores coming from the bed/sofa.

Silently she crept back into her own room, climbed back into bed with Draco and cuddled up, fearing that the images she had just witnessed wouldn't let her sleep.

She was asleep moments later.

* * *

><p>Hermione awoke to the alarm first and she switched it off, revelling in the warmth that Draco was providing her. When she thought about him not being there anymore, which was a strong possibility, she began to cry. Draco woke up to the sounds of her crying and quickly began to sooth her, allowing her to cry herself out until she calmed down.<p>

"I was thinking about what it would be like if I didn't wake up next to you," Hermione sighed, realising that her thoughts were rather ridiculous.

"We'll be fine," Draco said, holding her for a few moments more. "Hermione, we should get up now if we want to be ready in time."

"I love you," Hermione kissed him, and when he reciprocated the feeling she leapt out of bed, put her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of her way and then got dressed in tight, black clothes which all of them would be wearing, along with the black beanies to top it off. Draco dressed in the same outfit and they held hands as they walked out into the living room.

The bed was now back to a sofa and a rather tired looking Ron was sat yawning on it.

"Tired? You shouldn't have stayed up, should you?" Hermione said, much to Ron's horror.

"What? We didn't stay up late," Ron exclaimed.

"You woke us up," Pansy commented as she led Blaise out of Draco's room. "Glad someone remembered the silencing charm eventually."

Hermione went slightly red as Ron and Teddy looked at one another in confusion, but busied herself in the kitchen making a thermos of coffee and grabbing some protein bars. Everyone was ready by this point and it was almost two, so they began their walk down to the entrance hall, being careful to avoid any teachers or Filch. They made it down there without a hitch and Neville, Luna and Millie were stood there waiting.

"Where's Harry and Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"They were here but they went off to say goodbye," Millie sighed, rolling her eyes.

"We're back," Harry declared as he walked back hand-in-hand with the youngest Weasley, unaware that her brother was giving him evils.

"Where did you guys sleep?" Teddy asked.

"Room of Requirement," Harry said. "Me, Ginny, Neville and Luna all had the same idea. So the room gave us a living room and two bedrooms."

"We went to go get the cloak and found Dean asleep on the sofa," Ginny giggled slightly. "It turned out Millie here had kicked him out to spend some quality time with Seamus."

"Oh, shush," Millie snapped. "It's not as if any of you didn't have sex last night."

"True," Blaise said, and everyone agreed, if a little embarrassed about it.

"Anyway, moving off the topic of sex, as fun as it is, everyone eat one of these," Hermione handed everyone a protein bar and they all ate it dutifully. "I also brought a thermos of coffee so we could all wake up."

"Ergh, I hate coffee," Pansy screwed up her nose.

"Me too," Hermione reassured her. "Just take a couple of mouthfuls."

She drank first out of the thermos and then past it around to everyone, who drank some, even Pansy. Hermione then went and placed the thermos in one of the alcoves to pick up on the way back.

"Everyone sure on where they're going? Apparation points, attack points? Everyone got their DA coin?" Hermione fired some questions.

"Calm, baby," Draco hugged her. "We'll be fine. We're ready."

"Elsa!" Hermione called, although in a quiet voice.

Elsa, Dobby, Winky and another house-elf by the name of Kilp appeared in front of them.

"Everyone ready?" Hermione asked, and the house-elves went to their respective groups. She and Harry had Elsa, much to Dobby's chagrin, but Harry had placed Dobby with Ginny, telling him that she was the most important thing to him, so Dobby felt more placated about not being with Harry. Winky opted for the group with Luna in it, purely because Luna was constantly nice to her and Kilp stood sullenly by the others.

"Remember, be careful, avoid getting hit, we are going to capture, not kill," Hermione delivered her final words before Elsa grabbed hold of her hand and Harry's hand and apparated them to the outside of Malfoy Manor.

All the girls instantly began to take down the additional wards, whilst Draco made the changes to the traditional wards to allow everyone to enter. Within five minutes they had access to the grounds and the four groups ran across to the house, being careful to check for wizards and traps. Harry and Hermione were to enter from the balcony adjoining the Malfoys' bedroom, and they levitated themselves up to the balcony, landing silently as they glanced briefly into the dark room.

_Ready. D. _

Draco, Pansy and Ginny were by the servant's quarters then.

_Ready. B._

Blaise, Teddy and Luna were now in position by the library window.

_Ready. N._

Neville, Millie and Ron were ready to enter through the upstairs hallway by Draco's room.

Hermione signalled to Harry, who levelled his wand at the lock on the window. She pointed her wand at the coin, rubbed it and sent a message.

All three team looked at their coins at once.

_In Position. Quietly. Go!_

Harry opened the lock and they entered the room, silently stunning Narcissa who was sleeping and then binding her with ropes. She didn't even wake as they opened the door to let in a slither of light that fell across her sleeping face.

"Oh, fuck," Hermione had glanced at Narcissa's face and was horrified.

She paused for a moment to look over Narcissa in more detail, ignoring the fact that the woman was sleeping naked, and surveyed her body.

"Harry, look at this," She whispered.

He was by her side in a flash and he had a similar reaction to her, the disgust crossing his face.

Narcissa had been brutalised – there was no other word for it. All over her body were cuts and bruises, some horrific bruises that were larger than Hermione's hand span, and were an angry yellow-purple colour. There was dried blood on her body and finger-marks on her thighs. Hermione felt bile rise up in throat at the sight and realising what Narcissa had been through.

"She's probably be raped," Hermione said quietly, pointing out the finger-marks and the blood around that area.

"Why would Lucius let anyone do this to his wife?" Harry asked incredulated.

"She's not magic anymore," Hermione said sadly, pulling the covers back up over Narcissa's worn body. "It wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who encouraged him. I expect most of the bruises are from him anyway."

"That's disgusting," Harry turned away. "We should carry on, we're behind schedule."

Just as they went to leave the room there was an horrific scream. Hermione froze but Harry began to run towards the sound.

"Harry, that could be one of them," Hermione grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"That was Ginny, Hermione, trust me, I know."

Harry began to sprint once more, and Hermione followed him. When they came across a couple of Death Eaters, they sent stunners their way and bound them before continuing on their way. As they ran down the stairs to the foyer of the house, Hermione felt her heart stuttered as she realised that Ginny was in the dining room; the room that she had been tortured in. She paused for a second, struggling to overthrow her fear.

Just then there was a flash of purple light and Luna came flying out of the room, smashing into the opposite wall and sliding down to the floor, a small trail of blood following her down. Hermione quickly surveyed her for injuries and could only see a mild wound to the back of her head. She muttered a healing spell and, to her immense relief, the wound knitted together in front of her eyes. Although Luna remained unconscious, Hermione knew she'd been fine.

"Elsa!" Hermione called out, seeing her loyal house-elf pop into the action. "Can you take Luna back to my quarters and put her on my bed? Please? It's important."

"Of course, Mistress," Elsa grabbed hold of Luna and disappearated.

Hermione turned around, only to see a spell coming towards her. She barely had the time to deflect it when it reached her, and she looked up at the blond haired man stood before her.

"We meet again, Lucius," Hermione nodded at him.

"This time, you will die," Lucius sneered, twirling his wand around in his hand before focussing it on her.

"Good luck with that," Hermione took a deep breath. "_Avis!_"

Lucius went to cast the shield charm but paused when he saw the flock of birds that had suddenly appeared. He began to laugh almost hysterically at the sight of them flapping around near the ceiling.

"I wouldn't laugh when she's armoured with birds," Ron said seriously, stepping into the battle with his wand raised.

"_Oppugno_!" Hermione yelled, enjoying the look of terror that crossed Lucius' face when they began to attack him.

Whilst he was indisposed she quickly bound him with ropes and followed Ron into the dining room where chaos had broken out. Everywhere Hermione looked, spells were being cast and people were falling.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Ginny yelled next to her, and Hermione quickly tied up the wandless Death Eater.

"Nice work, Gin," Hermione smiled at her, turning to face her next opponent. "How are you?"

Ginny grimaced at her and sighed. "Got hit with the Cruciatus. Hurt like a motherfucker."

"I know!" Hermione saw a movement behind Ginny and screamed out a warning.

It was too late. A splash of purple in the air collided with Ginny's chest and she stumbled backwards into Hermione's arms. Instantly Ginny began to shake all over and began to cry out. Hermione saw a shadow fall over her and she looked up to see Dolohov over her, a manic grin on his face. Hermione pointed her wand and said the first thing that came to her mouth.

"_Sectumsempra_!" She screamed it out, only to gasp when his chest broke open as if slashed with a sword, three rivets of blood began to pour, soaking through the clothes that he wore.

As he fell another Death Eater took his place, one that Hermione didn't recognise, and he looked angry.

"That was my brother, you stupid mudblood bitch," He growled.

Hermione looked all around, hoping and praying that someone was near to help, but she could only see four of her friends and they were all fighting.

"Expelliarmus," the Death Eater said casually, and Hermione frantically swiped for her wand as it flew through the air but to no avail. He caught it in his hand. "Now, come with me."

He pulled Ginny off Hermione and tossed her on the ground without a backwards glance, before reaching down and grabbing hold of the beanie hat, ripping it off and then, grasping her hair in his hand, he pulled her away from the group of bodies on the floor around them into a corner.

Hermione screamed and screamed, but no one could hear her over the sound of the fighting, and no one was paying attention as he threw her on the ground and began to undo his trousers.

_Oh please…no….no, no, no….someone help me!_

She screamed in her head and out loud as much as she could, but nothing seemed to be happening as he began to tug down her trousers.

"You get the fuck off her now," a smooth, but dangerous voice ordered.

"Why? You want her again, do you, Severus?" He cackled.

"She belongs to me," Severus looked at him and the next thing any of them knew, the Death Eater was dangling upside down, staring worriedly into Severus' dark, dark eyes. "Now die."

With a flick of his wand and a flash of green light, he died. Hermione scrambled up, righting herself before she flung herself into Severus' arms and stayed there for a moment.

"Hermione!" Harry's voice brought her back to reality and without a second thought she flung herself back into the battle.

Almost half an hour later they managed to bound the final Death Eater, all of them heaving sighs of relief that the battle was over.

"Everyone still alive?" Hermione looked round at the few that remained.

Harry, Ron, Pansy, Blaise and Millie were standing with her, all looking a little worse for wear but alive nonetheless.

"Neville and Ginny apparated out about twenty minutes ago," Ron informed her.

"I sent Luna with Elsa because she got knocked out," Hermione said. "Where's Draco?"

"I don't know," Pansy's eyes grew wide. "He said something about going to find his mother."

"How long ago was this?" Hermione asked.

"Half an hour ago," Pansy and Hermione both looked at one another before sprinting for the door.

Hermione ran and ran like she had never run before and Pansy was keeping up with her as they traversed the corridors that Hermione had run down previously, hoping that Draco was okay. They burst through the door where Narcissa had been and found her on the bed still, but this time along with a bound and gagged Draco, who was covered in blood but clearly angry.

Hermione stepped forward and began to untie him, only thinking afterwards about removing his gag.

"Look out!" He yelled.

Hermione turned around, regretting that she didn't have her wand as a werewolf leapt out from behind the door and jumped on Pansy, biting her arm savagely. She screamed loudly and Hermione did the only thing she could – she charged the werewolf.

* * *

><p>"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done," Draco chastised Hermione as he gently settled her in the bath.<p>

Three hours had passed since the werewolf had bitten Pansy, and they were all back at Hogwarts, the injured all having been through the hospital wing and lectured thoroughly by Madam Pomfrey. Ginny and Pansy were the only ones who remained in the hospital wing and everyone else was told to go and rest for the next few days.

Hermione stretched out in the hot water and sighed as her back arched. As soon as she had jumped on Fenrir Greyback, he had rolled and flung her off, causing her to hit her back on the wardrobe. By this point, Draco had located his wand and killed the werewolf, before he managed to call the house-elves to help them back.

Pansy was recuperating in the hospital wing and, although she had been bitten deeply, she would be fine. Unfortunately, she was now a werewolf, but Dumbledore had instantly sent for Remus Lupin so he could help her through the changes.

"I love you," Draco said softly as he began to wash Hermione, first starting with her body and then moving on to her hair. By the time he had finished with her hair and pulled the plug, Hermione was almost asleep. Draco carried her to the bed and dried her hair magically before placing her in the bed and allowing her to sleep.

He shuffled into the living room where Blaise was sat on the sofa, downing his fourth whiskey.

"That's not good for you," Draco said wearily as he sat down next to him.

"I know," Blaise stirred the contents of the glass, watching the liquid swirl around. "But I feel like drowning my sorrows for tonight. It's going to be difficult being with a werewolf."

"Yeah, I know but you'll be fine," Draco snatched the bottle off the table before Blaise could refill his glass. "Now sleep. You can stay in my room if you want but if you want to puke, don't do it in my bed or I'll kill you."

"Sure," Blaise said before taking off for Draco's bed.

Draco looked at the bottle in his hand, uncapped it and took a swig before putting it back in the cupboard and going to bed with his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Draco found himself alone a few days later and it was the first time he had to think about what had happened. Although some of his friends and been hurt and Ginny and Pansy had almost died because of the battle, it was the loss of his parents that hurt him the most. Shortly after his mother's arrival at hospital she had been placed into a coma, apparently the trauma of the injuries inflicted upon her had damaged her mind. Draco personally believed that it was because of his father's betrayal against his mother that caused her the psychological damage.<p>

His father had already been given the kiss and was now wandering around in a cell in Askaban, without a thought in the word or an aim to achieve. Despite the fact that he hated his father and his mother was hardly ever going to win the best mother award, it didn't divert from the fact that he was now, effectively, an orphan.

He was surprised to feel tears falling down his face, but he didn't try to stop them. As far as he was concerned, the tears would be healthy in this case. After a few moments of solid crying, he stopped, cleaning himself up as he forced himself to look forward to the future. He had a wonderful girlfriend and the best set of friends that anyone could ask for.

His girlfriend. Hermione was beautiful, smart and funny; more than anyone could possible ask for. However, it was undeniable that he felt anger towards her. During the time that she had been kidnapped he'd searched everywhere, panicking desperately about what was happening to her, only to find out that she had had sex with Severus. Hardly torture now, was it?

He buried his thoughts down for another time.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Pans," Hermione smiled at her dark-haired friend, who was sitting up in the hospital bed looking radiant. "You look amazing!"<p>

"Thank you," Pansy grinned. "I'm so happy."

"Really? So the whole werewolf thing is suiting you?" Hermione was a little surprised.

"Well, actually, I'm having problems," Pansy looked down at her clasped hands before looking back up at Hermione. "I've imprinted."

"On who?" Hermione gasped, hoping that it was Blaise.

"Remus Lupin."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **uh-oh - poor, poor, Blaise :( and what's Draco going to do about Hermione and Severus? Reviews please :)


	21. Chapter 19

Another chapter's up :) oh, we forgot to clarify that by Ron's virginity we meant his gay virginity (sorry if that's not the correct term). We will change that as soon as we can :) oh we're looking for ten reviews this time because we really badly want to reach 100!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

Hermione looked at Pansy in utter shock. She couldn't even process what the Slytherin girl had just told her.

"Please tell me you're joking?" Hermione spat out, although she could tell from Pansy's face that she wasn't. "After everything Blaise has done for you, you're just going to toss him aside?"

"Hermione, it's not a choice!" Pansy cried. "I didn't choose for this to happen. I loved Blaise, I truly did, but as soon as I saw Remus I felt as if he was the only person in the world for me."

"You're such a fucking slut!" Hermione yelled, causing Madam Pomfrey to come running out of her office.

"What is going on here? Why are you shouting at my patient?" She demanded, looking between the two of them.

"Hermione has just found something out that she's not happy about," Pansy said softly, unable to look Hermione in the eye. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I want to tell Blaise myself, can you ask him to come up at the earliest opportunity, please?"

"You whore!" Hermione screamed at her, before turning on her heels and leaving the hospital wing. As soon as the door swung shut behind her she slumped against the wall, contemplating exactly what had happened. After some thought she decided needed to know more about this whole imprinting thing before she did anything else, so she decided to head off to the library.

* * *

><p>Draco waited outside in the shadows of the cold corridor. He had first spoken the password to get into Severus' quarters, but as soon as he had passed through the sound barrier that prevented all sound from leaving the teacher's headquarters (you couldn't hear anything even if your ear was against the portrait), he had heard feminine cries and moans of pleasure and he had quickly left the room, picking instead to wait outside. After about twenty minutes a rather dishevelled Lavender came out, dropping her head in submission in Severus before heading back up to the Gryffindor Tower.<p>

"Would you like to come in?" Severus questioned.

"Yeah, we need to talk," Draco said seriously, following him into the living room, where he was pleased to see the post-it notes of quotes still stuck to the wall.

"About Hermione, by any chance?" Severus settled himself into his favourite chair.

"What makes you think that?" Draco asked.

"I've seen the way you've been watching me since I got back and it's been quite focussed and sometimes almost obsessive. I'm pretty certain that your feelings of devotion to me are only sexual, which leaves Hermione as the sole cause of this."

"Yeah, well, yeah," Draco was slightly put out by how he had guessed that already. "I need you to stay away from her."

"About six months ago we were having a conversation where you asked me the exact opposite, if I recall," Severus said thoughtfully. "You're worried that her feelings of desire run much deeper than just lust, aren't you?"

"I know she loves you," Draco said sullenly. "But, I want her to be with me, in the end, and just me. This whole thing with you was supposed to be fun, but it turned far more serious and I don't like it."

"So you expect me to just back off now, do you?" Severus glared slightly at him.

Draco pondered Severus' look of anger for a moment before the light dawned on him.

"You love her back!" He exclaimed, Severus' face giving it away. "You care for her. This thing with Lavender isn't permanent, it's a way for you to get release until Hermione comes to you."

"Draco, I would never be with Hermione because of what happened between her and myself," Severus said. "I know that you believe that when we had sex during her kidnapping that she was enjoying it, but that's not the truth. I had to be rough and she was hardly prepared for that. It was forced upon her and I practically brutalised her. I had blood on me from it!"

"What?" Draco's voice was quiet.

"I had to fuck her anally as well," Severus could barely speak the words. "It was horrible. She tried to get away from me but I held her in place and just carried on."

The anger Draco felt rising in him was suppressed when he saw the anguish on his face. It was obviously that he was in great pain from what he had done, for he was much paler than normal and he even looked a little sick when he was talking about it.

"I had no choice," Severus continued. "If I hadn't been rough enough with her they would have sent in someone else. Do you want to know something though? She told me afterwards that she didn't mind because she knew that I was helping her. Ha. She came to me in the shower when it was clearly difficult for her to walk and forgave me for what I had done."

"She wasn't willing then?" Draco ran his hand over his face. "I thought that her kidnapping was a doddle."

"It was far from that," Severus snapped, standing up out of his chair and staring down at him. "She was tortured with the Cruciatus, beaten and then raped."

"It wasn't rape," Hermione's voice made them both jump. "I've had this discussion with you."

"When the fuck did you get here?" Severus snapped at her. "This is a private conversation. How dare you!"

"I was actually coming to tell you that although I do love you I don't want to be with you anymore. I only want to see you as a friend because I love Draco and I want to be with him, but if you're going to take that attitude then fine, fuck off, don't bother being my friend," Hermione growled back, her eyes flashing.

"Hermione…"

"Draco, don't you dare get involved," Hermione turned her wrath on him. "You came down here to tell him to back off without even consulting me? How the fuck do you know what I want and what gives you the right to state who I can fuck?"

"I love you too much to share you!" Draco yelled.

"Oh, just leave me alone," Hermione said to both of them before she stalked off.

* * *

><p>"Pansy, can I talk to you?" Hermione poked her head around the curtain.<p>

"Um, yeah, I guess," Pansy gestured for her to sit down.

Hermione took the seat and there was an awkward silence for a moment whilst they waited for each other to speak first.

"Pans, I've been in the library…"

"Hermione, I'm really sorry…"

They both tried to talk at the same time and paused, laughing slightly which defused the situation.

"I went to library after I spoke to you and researched imprinting," Hermione began again. "Every single account I've read has told of how it's unwilling and the feeling cannot be changed. He's your soul-mate, isn't he?"

"Yes," Pansy's eyes welled up. "I can't help it. I never wanted to hurt Blaise."

"You need to tell him now," Hermione urged.

"Tell me what?" Blaise walked up to the bed, the smile on his face slipping as he saw the shocked look on Hermione's face and the ashen look on Pansy's. "Seriously, tell me what?"

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Hermione stood up.

"Please, stay," Pansy urged. "Blaise, do you mind if Hermione stays? She can help explain this."

"Not at all," Blaise said easily as he seated himself. "So what's the problem?"

"Have you ever heard of imprinting?" Pansy began, her heartrate increasing dramatically.

"No, I can't say I have."

"It's when an animal, usually a werewolf, finds his or her soul-mate," Hermione explained. "It's an unintentional action that isn't conscious, and basically the animal falls in love with their soul-mate and they are destined to be together."

"Okay, so what about it?" Blaise looked at Pansy.

"I've imprinted," Pansy closed her eyes, panicking.

"So?"

"It's not you," She opened her eyes and saw disbelief etched across his features. "Oh, Blaise, I didn't want this to happen…"

"Who is it?" Blaise asked calmly.

"Please understand that I did love you, but I can't help how I feel now," Pansy explained.

"WHO IS IT?" He yelled.

"Remus Lupin," Pansy said in a whisper.

Hermione watched the verbal tennis match go back and forth between the two of them and wished desperately that she could be anywhere else but there. She'd even rather be at the dentists having a tooth pulled without the anaesthetic than watch Blaise's heart break. It was all over his face and, although he was trying to be strong, Pansy's whispered confession and her tears were enough to break him.

"It's an unconscious action?" Blaise asked, his voice broken with pain. "You haven't done this on purpose?"

"No, I promise you that up until I saw Remus my heart belonged to you," Pansy sobbed.

"I believe you," Blaise choked back a sob.

To say that Blaise was taking it well was an understatement. He was close to tears himself but he did believe her. Hermione was stunned to see him take it relatively calmly, especially considering how much he loved her, but he had taken her word for it and so far was keeping his cool. Blaise stood up and went over to hug a nearly hysterical Pansy.

"I forgive you," he said quietly in her ear. "I will always love you, Pansy Parkinson, but I want you to be happy. If this is your destiny then I will not stand in your way."

"I'm so sorry, Blaise," Pansy held his hand briefly when he let go. She stared up into his beautiful dark brown eyes. "I know I shouldn't ask this of you now when you must be hurting, but could we be friends? I don't want to lose you completely."

"Yes, we can be friends but I'm going to need a bit of time," Blaise nodded to her and then turned away.

As he walked past Hermione she saw the first tear escape his eye. He walked steadily across the hospital wing and out of the door, but before the door closed properly she heard his cry of anguish.

"I'm going to go," Hermione said quickly to Pansy, who had started crying even hardly at the sound.

Without waiting for a reply she ran across and left the hospital wing, searching around for a moment before she found Blaise hidden in a small alcove that she had run past before. He was crying openly now, the tears tracking down his face. Hermione conjured a tissue and handed it to him before sitting down next to him.

After he had calmed down slightly, Hermione switched her position so she could hug him tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder and wrapped one arm around her to hug her back, and in that position he stopped shaking and began to breathe normally once more.

"It's going to be okay," Hermione said softly to him.

She gently pressed a sisterly kiss to his forehead and he turned his face up to look at her, the tear-streaks painfully obvious on his face. His eyes met hers and she smiled brightly at him, before she blinked and gasped when he moved his head closer to hers. Before she could even move, his lips were pressed against hers, seeking entrance into her mouth as he cupped her cheek with one hand and pulled her closer with the other hand.

She tried to move away but he was too caught up in the moment to realise what she was doing so she settled for not reacting at all. She refused to move her lips in accordance to his and made her body go stiff in his arms. After a couple of seconds he stopped and pulled away, his eyes shocked as he looked at her before the tears overflowed again.

"Oh fuck, Hermione, I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," Blaise moaned, putting his head in his hands.

"Blaise, hun, it's fine, you're just upset," Hermione put her arm around him once more. "Practically everyone seeks comfort of some kind whenever they've been hurt and if it's a relationship then you tend to try and find physical comfort to make you feel wanted. I don't judge you for it. I've done it before."

"You have?" Blaise stopped his crying.

"Yeah, you remember at the party when it came out that Ron and I used to be fuck buddies?" Hermione asked. "Well, that actually came around after my muggle boyfriend dumped me. I went straight around to the Burrow afterwards and happened to latch onto the nearest male near to me."

"Ron?"

"Erm, no, actually, Charlie," Hermione had the decency to blush.

"You tried to fuck Charlie Weasley?" Blaise exclaimed out loud, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Shush, I don't want the whole world to know!" Hermione stifled her laughter. "No-one knows apart from me, Ron and now you. Well, anyway, I burst into the Burrow crying, and the only Weasley there was Charlie. Everyone else was off shopping and Bill was with Fleur somewhere and Charlie made me a cup of tea and got me to tell him what had happened."

_-flashback-_

"_He told me I was ugly and a stupid bookworm and that the only reason he stayed around was because he heard I wasn't a virgin and thought he could get with me," Hermione finished, sobbing._

"_Oh, Hermione," Charlie took the cup out of her shaking hands and put in on the table. "When are you going to stop dating the wrong boys? I mean, this guy has it all wrong."_

"_He does?" Hermione wiped her eyes and looked at him._

"_Yeah, first of all, how can you get a stupid bookworm? It doesn't make sense," Charlie joked, earning a weak chuckle from Hermione. "And secondly, you're gorgeous. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Any guy would be lucky to have you."_

"_They would?" _

"_Yes," Charlie answered, looking at her straight in the eye so she would know that he was telling the truth._

_Without thinking, Hermione leaned forward and pressed her lips hesitantly against Charlie's. She pulled away abruptly when there was no response._

"_I'm sorry," Hermione jumped up._

"_No, you just took me by surprise, that's all," Charlie grabbed hold of her and pulled her down on top of him so that she was sitting astride him. _

_He kissed her passionately, his hands roaming all over her body and slipping under her clothes without a pause._

_-end flashback-_

"So what happened?" Blaise asked wide-eyed. "You both seemed pretty eager."

"Well, we were almost about to do it," Hermione admitted. "My top was on the floor, along with my bra and panties, and his shirt was undone and his jeans were undone. He was fingering me at that point, sorry for the information there."

"Nah, it's fine, it doesn't bother me," Blaise dismissed it. "I'm not fussed about detail so say whatever you need to."

"Well, he was fingering me to get me ready and I came, and he got his penis out and was about to put it in me when we heard a commotion in the kitchen. The next thing we hear is Mrs Weasley yelling to the twins about something. Of course, the moment was over and we spent about ten seconds getting dressed before everyone came into the living room. I had everything on apart from my panties when they walked in."

"What did you do with them?" Blaise asked, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I didn't do anything!" Hermione threw her hands up. "Mrs Weasley and the twins came into the living room and I realised that my underwear was on the floor and I motioned to Charlie, who dropped the cup on the floor, bent down to pick it up and slipped my underwear in his pocket at the same time."

"So no-one knew," Blaise said.

"Well, we think the twins guessed because they said something to me later about how good it was that they created a distraction but we've just flat-out denied it," Hermione smiled. "Not a good idea to let the twins have potential blackmail material. You know, Charlie still has my underwear? He told me he was keeping it as a souvenir to remind himself that he almost had the 'best-looking girl in the world'? His words, not mine."

"Cheeky sod," Blaise stood up, wincing as his knees popped.

He pulled Hermione to her feet as well and gave her a quick hug.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "You made me happier. I don't think that I'll be truly back to normal for a while yet, but you stopped me from crying and made me smile, so thank you."

"It's my job," Hermione answered as they began to walk back to headquarters. "You're like a brother to me."

"Even with the kiss?" Blaise asked.

"Blaise, darling, that never happened, okay? You're like the brother I never had," Hermione said.

"And you're like the sister I never had," Blaise grinned at her. "Oh, how's you and Draco?"

"Oh, not good," Hermione sighed.

When Blaise questioned her about her answer she told him the story, everything from the binding collar and her lack of choice in the matter, to the introduction of Severus into their sexual relationship and how the lust turned into love, up to the abduction, the forced sexual relations and Draco's reaction.

"He's worried that you love Severus more than him," Blaise said thoughtfully. "Do you know how much he cares about you?"

"Well, he tells me he loves me," Hermione said.

"It's not just love. You're his everything. There's hardly a sentence that he says where he doesn't mention your name and he told me before you went missing that he was glad that the collar forced you two into a more serious relationship because it meant that you cared about each other more," Blaise said. "You should have seen him when you went missing. It was terrifying. He alternated between threatening to kill everyone and crying."

"He cried?" Hermione stopped walking.

"Yeah, at night when he thought that we were all asleep he would cry and cry until he exhausted himself and passed out," Blaise sighed. "Hermione, you can't let something like this come between you. Yes, he overreacted and tried to control your life but you have to understand why he did that. You have to forgive him."

"I guess you're right," Hermione bit her lip. "Come on, let's get to headquarters."

They began to walk again and shortly arrived at the portrait of the couple, who were stood on opposite sides of the frame, their backs to each other and their arms crossed.

"Oh, what's wrong with you two?" Hermione asked.

"He's trying to stop me from going to other paintings," The portrait-Hermione sniffed.

"I know that Sir Arthur has his eye on her and I don't want him to take advantage," the portrait-Draco replied.

"Sounds like you and Draco," Blaise commented.

"Why don't you visit other paintings together? Or if she wants to go alone then accompany her to the painting and then get the occupants to seal off the movement to that painting so that Sir Arthur cannot get to her?" Hermione suggested.

"We could do that," portrait-Draco agreed instantly, before turning loving eyes on his girlfriend.

"We could do that," portrait-Hermione turned to him and before anyone knew it, they were kissing once more, the portrait swinging open so that they could enter.

Hermione and Blaise began to talk once more as they climbed through but silence descended over them when they saw a sullen and depressed Draco sat on the sofa.

"I'm, um, I'm going to leave you two alone," Blaise backed out of living room into the corridor, shrugging his shoulders at Hermione who gave him an evil glare.

When Blaise left there Hermione stood there awkwardly, hovering by the door as Draco looked at her.

"Are you going to talk to me or what?" Draco asked.

"I'm not ignoring you or anything, Draco, I just think you were out of order," Hermione sighed.

"I know that," Draco walked over to her. "I do understand where you're coming from but you have to see my point of view on this as well. I did it for you."

"Oh, fuck off, did you! You did it for your own benefit because you don't think that I would have ever stopped seeing Severus," Hermione snapped at him.

"Hermione, I want to spend my life with you and just you! I don't want there to be anyone else in our relationship but us," Draco urged. "Believe me."

"If you had come to talk to me about this then we wouldn't have a problem with it," Hermione crossed her arms and stared at him defiantly. "It's because you went behind my back."

"I apologise for that," Draco said. "Now why don't I go and make a cup of tea?"

"I don't want a fucking cup of tea!" Hermione screamed. "You don't even seem sorry about this."

"That's because I'm not!" Draco yelled back at her. "I'm not sorry that I want you to myself and I'm not sorry that I went behind your back. I did what was necessary."

"Necessary? You betrayed my trust," Hermione glared at him.

"Hardly! You're the one that betrayed my trust by fucking Severus when I was trying to find you!" Draco instantly regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears and when he reached out to comfort her she pushed his arms away and fled the quarters, the portrait closing behind her. Draco punched the wall, hurting his knuckles in the process before he sat back down on the sofa, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a beautiful yet simple diamond ring. He ran his finger over the ring before closing the box and throwing it against the opposite wall.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Another chapter done


	22. Chapter 20

Okay well we got our 5 reviews although we really want to get 100 reviews total so please make our year/life by giving us some more please ^^

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Hermione could hardly see through the tears that clouded her vision. She was sobbing as she ran along the corridors, not even knowing where she was going.

A couple of minutes after she left she found herself in the hospital wing, where she pulled back the curtains around Pansy's bed to see her and Remus caught in a passionate embrace.

"Oh, crap, I'll come back later," Hermione choked out, causing them to break apart.

"Sorry, Hermione," the sheepish grin off her face slipped when she saw the state that she was in. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione backed away from the bed. "I'll just go."

She left the hospital wing quickly, ignoring Pansy's calls for her to return, and she had just made it to the end of the corridor when Remus stopped her.

"What's wrong? I've never seen you cry like this," Remus asked.

"Go back to Pansy," Hermione continued walking.

"Hermione!" Remus stopped her once more and this time hugged her tight so she couldn't walk off without him again. "Look, why don't you tell me?"

"Because I'm scared of what you'll think of me afterwards," Hermione admitted in a small voice.

"Hermione, nothing can be that bad," Remus smiled, but sobered up when he saw the seriousness on her face. "Let's go get a drink."

Hermione simply sobbed in reply and he led her gently out of the castle and into Hogsmeade, where he sat her down in one of the corner stalls in The Three Broomsticks and deposited a firewhisky in front of her.

"Drink up."

Hermione looked at the flaming liquid doubtfully but Remus prodded her further so eventually she picked up the shot and downed it, grimacing at the taste afterwards. Remus chuckled slightly at her expression and got her another one, which she again drunk, getting up the courage to tell Remus her story. After the third shot she was ready, and she began to spill the beans, hardly noticing that Remus kept topping up her glass so that by the end of her little speech she was quite drunk.

"So, let me get this straight, you are with Draco but both of you had sex with Snape. When you were kidnapped you had sex with Snape to save your own hide but now Draco's jealous and wants him out of your life?" Remus asked as he downed his third shot of the hour.

"Yesshh," Hermione slurred.

"You know what you should do? Forgive Draco," Remus said.

"What? Why should I forgive Draco?" Hermione asked, struggling to clear her head. "He's in the wrong."

"He may be in the wrong this time but his actions were for good," Remus explained. "Now, come on, time to get you back to the castle, you've had enough to drink."

"Okay, Remus," Hermione laughed at the sound of his name. "Remus. Remus, Remus, Remus! I like your name, Remus."

"It's a good name," Remus agreed, secretly wondering why he ever thought that it would be a good idea to get Hermione drunk. As he supported her on the way back to the castle he mentally slapped himself on the head for thinking such a stupid thing. Then again, he doubted that Hermione would have told him what was wrong without the prompting of the alcohol.

He managed to get her up the castle without any of the teachers noticing them (even though they were both adults, she was head girl and had an example to set) and they were on their way to the headquarters so Remus could put a now-singing Hermione comfortably on her sofa to pass out on when Blaise and Teddy popped up.

"Hello," Blaise said to Remus, unable to keep the anger and the heart-break out of his voice.

"Ah, hi, Mr. Zabini," Remus sighed. "Can I help you?"

"Pansy asked us to find you because she said that she needs you," Teddy explained, sensing the animosity between the two of them. "Why don't you come with me and Blaise can help Hermione back to hers?"

"Okay cool," Blaise managed to transfer Hermione from Remus to himself without touching the werewolf. "Go on then, give my love to Pansy."

Remus gave him a look mixed between exasperation and sympathy before he left with Teddy. Blaise sighed and looked up at the ceiling, willing the tears to go away. When they didn't he took Hermione along to the Room of Requirement and opened the door to reveal a room with a sofa and a bed. He put Hermione on the bed before he sat on the sofa.

After a couple of minutes Blaise became aware of the fact that Hermione was no longer on the bed.

"Hermione?" Blaise looked around but couldn't see her.

It was her hastily stifled giggle that alerted him to her presence behind the sofa. He leaned back over the sofa, saw her crouching down behind it and then tapped her on the head. She lifted her head and beamed at him before tapping him back and then running away.

"Oi, you little sod, come back!" Blaise said.

He leapt off the sofa, concerned about Hermione's welfare as she attempted to run away but instead resulted in a drunken stumbling around the room.

"Stop, Hermione," Blaise ordered, and he was surprised when she flopped down on the bed and began to cry. "Oh crap, umm, what's wrong?"

"Am I unattractive?" Hermione sobbed.

"What? Where's this coming from?"

"Draco keeps pushing me away and it's because I'm ugly!" Hermione tugged viciously at her hair.

"You're not ugly, I promise," Blaise reached over and took the hair out of her hands. "Now stop pulling your hair."

"Blaise?" Hermione looked up at him, her eyes wet.

Before he could ask her what was wrong she was kissing him with such intensity that he lost all train of thought. He kissed her back with as much force, revelling in the feeling of her soft lips against his.

He pushed her back onto the bed without breaking their connection and climbed on top of her, her body pressing against his tantalisingly.

"Wait, we can't do this," Blaise broke off the kiss, holding a hand over his mouth in horror as he looked at his best friend's girlfriend. "This isn't right."

His body was screaming out that it was perfectly right and his lips were still tingling from the kiss. He looked at her flushed face and realised that she was too drunk to even realise the implications of her actions. He shook his head but when she stood up and began to strip in front of him he lost it.

He couldn't control himself when she revealed more and more of that tantalising body. Blaise didn't realise just how much he was attracted to her until she ran her hand across his crotch and felt the hardness there.

He did always think that she was pretty but he had obvious misinterpreted his feelings towards her as being sibling-like, but his body was telling him differently now. Before he knew it they were both naked and he was pressing into her, feeling her tight warmth and hearing her soft moans.

_This is what it should be like…Pansy was good but she wasn't reactive…god, she's gorgeous…_

Once he was in her he didn't hold back, listening to her commands on how to move and doing so. After only a couple of minutes she came, crying out loud and the tightening of her walls around him caused him to spill his seed too. Blaise took a moment to recover before he pulled out and put his boxers on, and when he turned back to the bed Hermione was fast asleep, the alcohol taking its toll on her.

_Oh, holy fuck, what did I do? This isn't her fault at all, she didn't know what she was doing, I took advantage of her…fuck…fuck…fuck…_

* * *

><p>Hermione awoke to sunlight streaming through the window and she blinked, staring at the brightness before her headache hit. She winced and grabbed hold of her head, wondering what on earth had possessed her to drink that much. As she went to leave the bed she became aware of the arm strewn over her and she smiled, thinking it was Draco. However, when she looked at the arm she paled; it was much darker than Draco's pale skin, and she pleaded desperately that nothing had happened.<p>

She turned to look at the person next to her and saw Blaise, who appeared to be as naked as she was. In that split second, she connected all the dots and had the only reaction that she possible could.

She screamed.

Blaise woke up with a start to a screaming Hermione, who was pointed frantically between her and him, babbling nonsense.

"Hermione, calm down, it's not that bad," Blaise tried to reassure her.

"Not that bad?" She repeated at the top of her voice. "What the fuck did we do?"

"We had sex," Blaise said simply.

"Argh, why? What? Oh my god, I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione paled considerably before leaning over the side of the bed and throwing up onto the floor. "What am I going to tell Draco?"

"Do you want to tell him?" Blaise asked, panicking at the thought of his best friend knowing that he slept with his girlfriend.

"Yes, no, I don't know," Hermione looked down at the blanket covering her and began to pick at it. "I love him, Blaise, and I don't want to lose him but I can't keep this from him."

"Always a Gryffindor," Blaise sighed.

"Oh yeah, well you're definitely a Slytherin, you slept with your best friend's girlfriend and don't want to tell him, you coward!" Hermione said vehemently.

Blaise threw his hands up in defeat, choosing to not aggravate her further in case she flipped. However, in an instant, tears were pouring down Hermione's face and she was sobbing painfully, so much so that Blaise thought that she couldn't breathe.

"Oh fuck, calm down!" Blaise hugged her. "Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't," Hermione cried. "I'm going to lose him."

"No, you won't," Blaise said so firmly that she halted her sobbing and looked up at him. He made the most painful decision of his life and grabbed his wand, pointing it at her.

"_Obliviate."_

* * *

><p>Hermione awoke in her room, stretched out and comfortable. She blinked a couple of times before smiling. She tried to recall the events of the night before but she could only remember up until her fourth shot of firewhisky and figured that she must have forgotten the memories because of the consumption of the alcohol.<p>

The smile left her face when she thought about her predicament with Draco. She loved him, that was certain, but she wasn't sure she could deal with his possessiveness. Then again, it was cute. She grinned when she remember how he looked when he talked about her, and figured that maybe the possessiveness wasn't necessarily a bad thing as long as he toned it down a bit.

She climbed out of bed and got dressed, making herself look pretty in order to convince Draco to come back. She was ready and out in the living room before he was and sat patiently waiting for when he would come out. About five minutes after she sat down he entered the room, looking around and then scowling when he saw her.

"Draco, can we talk?" Hermione asked.

"What about?" Draco snapped.

"About us," Hermione said. "I want to try again because that argument was silly."

"It was silly," Draco replied. "You overreacted."

"You're too possessive!" Hermione calmed down for a second. "You did go and talk to Severus without even consulting me about it which is out of order."

"I was protecting my girlfriend," Draco snarled.

"Oh, you're being ridiculous," Hermione bit her lip. "I love you, Draco, and I would like to try again with you."

"I think you need to sort out your issues first then come back to me," Draco turned away from her, leaving her stunned and hurt.

No matter how hard she tried throughout the day, she couldn't understand what she had done wrong. As far as she was concerned, she hadn't done anything wrong really but he was acting like she'd really hurt him. That evening, after dinner, she went to go and see Severus to try and get a different opinion on it.

After she had told him the argument, he smiled slightly and looked at her.

"You have no idea what Malfoy men are like, do you?" Severus asked.

"No, I don't," Hermione sighed. "Why was he so possessive?"

"Hermione, Malfoy men are possessive," Severus explained, fixing his long fingers together and looking at her over the top of them. "He would kill to have you to himself and having me in the picture was dangerous for me. I have no doubt in my mind that if we were to carry on then I wouldn't be alive much longer."

"Is this in their nature?" Hermione asked confused.

"About 700 years ago, a Malfoy by the name of Scorpius had a beautiful young wife called Camilla. She was the beautiful woman in the area and sought after by many men. Scorpius followed her everywhere she went, until one day he didn't follow her. For the next few weeks, he stayed at home whilst she went into the market to buy food and shortly she was attacked in the street, raped and beaten to within an inch of her life," Severus paused for a second to allow Hermione to compose herself (she had become saddened by the story). "Scorpius never forgave himself because it gave his wife nightmares and made their marriage difficult, but he loved her so much that he couldn't bear to leave her or to take a mistress. In the end, she fell pregnant and he placed a curse on his unborn son to protect the woman he loved with everything he had. This moment of anguish has cursed the Malfoy men since."

"Why did Lucius allow his wife to be hurt?" Hermione questioned.

"Lucius is mad," Severus answered. "He was driven mad when his wife started having affairs. Why else do you think he was so devoted to the Dark Lord?"

"I see," Hermione sighed again. "So it wasn't his fault?"

"No, not at all," Severus peered at her. "Quite a predicament you're in."

"Indeed," Hermione groaned. "Can I condemn myself to a life of possessiveness? Is it possessiveness over everything I do? So I won't be able to go out with my girlfriends?"

"No, it's only when they know that another man has been sleeping with their girlfriend or wife," Severus said. "Can you deal with that?"

"Well, considering I would never cheat on Draco then yes, I can," Hermione beamed at Severus. "I guess I need to go make it up to him."

"You're going to sing a song again, aren't you?" Severus rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with that?" Hermione asked.

"You hide behind skimpy outfits and a sexy song and never just sing," Severus commented. "If you're going to sing him a song, do it unrehearsed and don't bother dancing, just sing."

"I can't do that!" Hermione gasped.

"Sure, you can," Severus leaned forward. "You have a good voice, Hermione, use it to your advantage."

"Oh crap," Hermione hit her head with her hand. "Help?"

"Of course," Severus said. "If I have Draco down here one more time about your relationship I will actually scream."

"Okay, well good, I guess."

* * *

><p>Draco sat down in the Great Hall three days after his confrontation with Hermione with a dark look on his face. Pansy was finally out of the hospital wing, although she would have to go back there every month to be contained whilst she transformed. She looked pretty good, covering up the scars on her arm with a glamour and she was talking happily to Teddy and Millie. Love did wonders for her, livening her up so she was much nicer and more pleasant. On the other side of him, however, was someone who was looking as equally as glum as him.<p>

"Still caught up over Pansy, huh?" Draco said quietly.

"Oh, what?" Blaise was startled out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I guess."

"It sucks to be you," Draco sighed.

"Why haven't you taken Hermione back?" Blaise asked him. "What actually happened between you guys?"

"I tried to protect her and she flipped out at me," Draco could barely contain the anger in his voice.

"Protect her how?"

"Told Severus to fuck off," Draco admitted, much to Blaise's amusement.

"Draco, she has no idea how possessive you are and any other girl in her position would have done the same!" Blaise said exasperatedly. "She's been so down lately because of you and she didn't do anything wrong.

Draco opened his mouth to retort when a beautiful guitar began to play. It was a lovely sound, and he was stunned to see Hermione stand up, all beautiful in her simplicity. She was dressed in her school uniform, but she had shucked her robe to reveal a white blouse and her grey skirt underneath, but she was so stunning that Draco couldn't breathe for a heartbeat. However, he saw exactly what Blaise meant when he said she'd been down – her eyes were red-rimmed and her face was pale, as if she hadn't been sleeping properly.

She began to sing beautifully, accompanied only by the guitar which was being played by Harry, and although it was obviously unrehearsed, it was breathtakingly amazing.

_Today I feel the mood_

_And I don't feel like talking, oh no, awaha_

_I wasn't ready to lose you_

_You're the first man to move me, yeah_

_You help me feel alive_

_Got me up from 9 to 5, oh ho, awaha_

_I could get through those days with you on my mind, yeah_

_Gotta try and move on _

_But I promise you _

_I will kiss your crown when life takes me down_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend_

_And all the seats in the crowd_

_Oh people love to move now, oh ho, a waha_

_I just can't feel the beat_

_Because my heart's fallen out, yeah_

_Gotta try and move on _

_But I promise you _

_I will kiss your crown when life takes me down_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend_

_I got my light in my hands_

_And your love in my heart_

_I got my light in my hands_

_And your love in my heart_

_I saved my last dance for you _

_My friend_

_And it seems I can live my life with you as my rhythm_

_Yeah_

_And I know I'll find my feet and I'll be beaming_

_Yeah, yeah_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend_

_I got my light in my hands_

_And your love in my heart_

_I got my light in my hands_

_And your love in my heart_

_I saved my last dance for you_

_My friend._

By the end of it she was crying, wiping away the tears that fell from her beautiful eyes.

"She's in pain, Draco," Pansy said to him. "Look at her! She's just told you that she can survive with you but not without you. Have you even looked at her lately?"

Draco shook his head mutely.

"She's been crying all the time, really tired, throwing up and everything. She doesn't even eat any more," Pansy said urgently. "You need to talk to her, Draco, because I know you love her back."

Across the hall, Harry got up to go and comfort his friend but Draco leapt out of his seat and sprinted across the hall, reaching her before Harry could. Harry shot him a look of contempt but Draco ignored it as he engulfed Hermione in his arms, instantly soothing her with his words.

"I'm sorry, baby, I love you," Draco whispered in her ear. "I'm not going to do that again, I love you so much, please forgive me."

Hermione looked up at him, a stunned look on her face. She had stopped crying, he was thankful to see.

"Are you being serious?" She asked, unaware that the entire hall was watching them.

"Yes, absolutely," Draco took her hands in his as he stepped away to address the hall. "Hey, guys, guess what? Hermione's my girlfriend, I love her and she loves me and we will be getting married at some point in the near future. Enjoy the gossip!"

He leaned down and kissed her softly, causing several gasps throughout the hall.

"Come on, babe," Draco took her hand and led her out of the hall.

The gossip started instantly, and the family all convened at the end of the Ravenclaw table to talk amongst themselves for the first time since the whole issue with Hermione and Draco. They hadn't had anywhere to meet, and besides, they all took different sides.

"Nice to talk to you again," Pansy smiled pleasantly round at everyone before shooting a dark look over at a group of girls who were sat gossiping near them. "Oh, you girls."

They shuffled closer to the group in the hope of hearing more juicing news.

"Do you want to hear something cool?" Pansy asked.

"Yeah, sure," they said.

"Here's some gossip for you," Pansy smiled sweetly at them. "I am going out with Remus Lupin."

"As in, Professor Lupin?" One of them gasped and the others looked positively delighted at hearing that.

"How many other Remus Lupins do you know?" Pansy snapped. "Now, anyone else want to say anything else."

"I'm dating Seamus," Millie said.

"I'm in love with Luna," Neville beamed at the blonde girl next to him.

"I lost my virginity to Neville," Luna spoke up, to a stunned silence on the girls' behalf.

"I'm gay!" Ron contributed and one of the girls actually fainted.

"I'm a dominatrix in the bedroom and Harry is my submissive and I whip him on a regular basis," Ginny said, much to the surprise of the group. Blaise even managed to snort his mouthful of milk out through his nose.

"It's true," Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Probably to do with the whole 'hero' complex."

"I'm going out with Ron," Teddy smiled wickedly.

"I once drank too much and snogged Draco," Blaise admittedly.

The girls just looked bemused by this point.

"That's not very nice to take the piss out of us, you know," one of them said angrily and they left the Great Hall.

"They're going to kick themselves when they find out that all of that is true," Pansy giggled, setting everyone else off laughing.

* * *

><p>"I love you," Draco murmured to Hermione as soon as they got through the portrait door.<p>

"I love you too," Hermione answered.

One second they were stood facing each other, the next they were ripping each other's clothes in the race to touch skin, their frantic pace fuelled by the passion that they felt to be with one another again. Their lips were touching, their hands wandering and their clothes now on the floor.

They didn't even make it to the sofa; Draco simply turned Hermione around, bent her over and, without even checking if she was ready, slammed into her. She screamed out in pleasure and when he began to thrust in and out of her, she was thrusting backwards onto him, impaling herself further down onto him. Hermione came quickly, and Draco pulled out of her, kissing her gently this time as he laid her down on the floor and entered her once more, this time face-to-face so he could watch her, even though his urgency and passion hadn't abated one bit.

She dug her nails into his back and when he hit that sweet spot inside of her she raked them down his back, sending a searing pain along the trail and as he involuntarily arched his back and thrust deep into her, he was certain that she had drawn blood. When he looked down at her, her head was thrown back in her euphoria and he had never seen a more erotic sight in his entire life.

He thrust deeper and harder, feeling his own peak coming close but wanting to make her come one last time. With his weight balanced on one hand, he reached down between them to fondle her small bundle of nerves, knowing that if she came from external stimulation she would tighten even more around him. He rubbed it for a few seconds before pinching it, causing her to tumble over the edge, the tightening of her walls to much for him and he followed quickly afterwards, spilling his seed in her.

After the rushed nature of the sex they were both tired out, Draco only having enough energy to pull out of her and roll to the side of her so he didn't crush her when his arms gave out.

"Wow, if that's what happens when we fight, we should fight more often," Hermione gasped breathlessly.

"I think I'm bleeding," Draco commented. "You scratched the fuck out of my back."

"Did I?" Hermione asked horrified. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realise. Do you want me to heal it for you?"

"Nah, I think it will scar and that'll be kind of cool," Draco pulled her close to cuddle her. "I'm sorry about everything."

"Me too," Hermione placed her head on his chest and felt his heartbeat begin to slow down back to normal rate. "I didn't know that Malfoys were so possessive so now that I know it seems more obvious why you reacted the way you did."

"I probably should have told you about the whole possessiveness thing," Draco played with her hair idly.

"Yes, you probably should have!" Hermione smacked him lightly on the stomach. "Why did you agree to this whole thing with Severus in the first place then?"

"Selfish reasons," Draco answered. "I knew he wanted you, I wanted you, I missed the time I used to spend with him and also because I didn't expect feelings to get involved."

"Ah, good point," Hermione nuzzled in closer to him, revelling in the feeling of being close to him once more.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall's voice sounded from the other side of the portrait. "I need to talk to you urgently."

Hermione cast a terrified look at Draco before they both leapt to their feet and dressed, struggling to fit into the clothes because of their rush. In fact, if they had dressed calmly it probably wouldn't have taken half as long, considering that Hermione managed to get her shirt mixed up with Draco's and Draco thought that Hermione's shoe was his own.

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione opened the door, looking (relatively) immaculate.

"The Minister of Magic is in the Headmaster's office and wishes to see you," McGonagall said.

"Draco, come with," Hermione ordered and, as McGonagall had no objections, Draco followed them up to the Headmaster's office.

When they were there McGonagall gave the gargoyle the password (Okal Snaps) and then left them to ascend the stairs on their own. Hermione knocked on the door and they entered when told to do so by Dumbledore.

"Hello, Headmaster," Hermione said politely as they entered. "Minister."

The Minister now was none other than Cornelius Fudge again, as everyone had agreed that for the time being he was the best man for the job during peace time.

"Miss Granger, I was talking to the Headmaster here during lunch time today in the back room adjoined to the Great Hall," Fudge began. "I happened to hear your singing and I found it positively delightful. The Ministry is having a small gathering soon and we were wondering if you would care to perform for us."

"Perform for you?" Hermione repeated. "You mean like singing?"

"Exactly," Fudge answered.

"Sure, but I have some conditions."

"Tell me."

"I get to do whatever songs I want without repercussions and that my friends get to join me," Hermione leaned forward and gestured as if to say, 'the ball's in your court'.

"How many friends are we talking?" Fudge asked.

"Ten," Hermione replied.

"Ten? Ridiculous, I can't agree to that," Fudge declared.

"Sure you can," Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Unless you want me to be able to sing, dance, and play the instruments all by myself all night. I don't think so. If you want me that badly, you'll agree."

There was a moment where Hermione and Fudge held eye-to-eye contact and neither was willing to budge on the matter. It was entertaining to Dumbledore and Draco, who were watching the verbal tennis with amusement in their eyes and occasionally glancing at one another.

"Fine," Fudge leaned back. "May the 12th, we will arrange a portkey there and back."

"Good," Hermione shook the Minister's hand. "We'll get rehearsing then."

She left the office with Draco with a very smug smile on her face.

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><p><strong>AN: **Another chapter finished


	23. Chapter 21

Okay guys, sorry for the late reply (lack of internet and time).

Still, enjoy the chapter

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Hermione gathered the family in the headquarters that evening to talk to them about the Minister's request. Everyone was slightly uneasy when she asked them to come because the last time she did they planned an all-out assault on a bunch of Death Eaters, most of whom were now incarcerated in Askaban for the remainder of their lives (except for the few that died).

"Okay, guys, you can calm down, it's not a bad thing this time," Hermione smiled round at them and they all visibly relaxed, their shoulders dropping, easing the tension out of them. "I have a proposal."

"Yes, Hermione, yes, a thousand times!" Pansy threw herself at Hermione's feet and clung on to them, causing everyone to laugh, herself included.

"Sorry, Pans, not that sort of proposal," Hermione said, and Pansy detached herself with a mock look of sadness on her face. "I was asked to go to Dumbledore's office earlier and the Minister of Magic was there."

"What did he want?" Harry asked instantly, his voice taking on an aggressive tone.

"Nothing bad, Harry, calm down," Hermione rolled her eyes. Trust him to automatically jump to the wrong conclusion. "Actually they want us to perform at their next fundraiser."

She was met with silence.

"What?"

Ginny spoke the word, her eyes round as saucers as she looked at Hermione.

"They want us to perform," Hermione repeated, enjoying the look on their faces.

"Well, they wanted Hermione to perform but she point-blank refused unless they allowed us to join in," Draco explained.

"Oh, so they don't want us," Ginny said.

"Ginny, it's not like that, I can't do it without you guys, so please?" Hermione pleaded with them.

"Why you and not us?" Ginny asked.

"He only heard me sing earlier," Hermione said. "That was the first time he heard any of us sing. Now please, I need you."

"I think it's nice that Hermione stood her ground for her friends," Luna said in her dreamy voice. "If she hadn't some of us would have resented her for not trying and that's not fair on her. She loves us and we should pay her the respect that is deserved in this case. I'm all for it."

Luna smiled brilliantly at Hermione and received a thankful smile in return. Slowly, one by one, the rest of the group agreed to it bar Ginny, who was looking stubbornly at Hermione with her arms crossed.

"Ginny, why don't you come into my room for a second?" Hermione asked, gesturing towards her bedroom.

The redhead got to her feet and then went into the room, Hermione following and shutting the door behind her.

"What's really the matter?" Hermione asked.

"It's always you!" Ginny cried. "Everyone talks about you all the time! 'Oh look what Hermione just did, doesn't Hermione look nice' and even Harry talks about you."

"Ginny, I don't do it on purpose," Hermione said soothingly. "I just spend time with my friends and it's only pure luck that Fudge heard me earlier."

"I know you don't do it on purpose but I can't help but feel I'm always pushed into the background even by my brother and my boyfriend!" Ginny began to cry and Hermione hugged her close, feeling nothing but sympathy for her friend.

"Do you want me to talk to Harry about it?" Hermione suggested. "I'll do it so he doesn't know you've said anything."

"Would you?" Ginny wiped her eyes. "That would be great, thanks."

"I'll talk to him in a bit," Hermione hugged her once more. "Now are you in for this or what? I'll give you a solo piece, just you?"

"Sounds cool," Ginny agreed, wiping away the last signs of her sadness. "Look okay?"

"No one can tell you've been crying," Hermione replied.

A minute later they walked out of Hermione's bedroom, linked arms and with smiles on their faces. Draco caught Hermione's eye and winked at her before turning back to the group.

"Now, this is different," Draco said, commanding the attention of the group instantly. "This is not a performance for the school for our own enjoyment, this is for the Ministry and a fundraiser at that. We have to avoid overly sexual songs and keep things simple."

"Actually, I think sexual songs would work in our favour," Pansy spoke up. "Not all the songs be sexual but a couple of them should be to appeal to the younger members of the audience. They'll want fun, not boredom, and, you never know, we might get extra money for the fundraiser."

"Anyway, moving on," Draco said. "We need to put together a list of songs, work out who is singing what song and start rehearsing."

"You and Hermione should do a song together to close," Harry said. "Hermione is the one that they wanted and Draco, you and her work so well together. Pick a ballad."

"Hermione can do most of the singing," Draco interjected. "I can play the guitar."

"Okay, fine," Hermione said. "I know the perfect song."

* * *

><p>The very next evening saw the whole group back in the headquarters, everyone having a list of three songs to perform. Hermione had done a quick calculation in her head and worked out that they needed a set of about fifteen songs, and she opened the floor to suggestions from the group.<p>

"Okay, well, me and Ginny would like to do a song with you," Pansy said to Hermione. "We always seem to do quite well."

"Indeed we do," Hermione agreed. "What song do you want to do?"

"What Do You Take Me For!" Ginny spoke up. "I heard it the other day and it's like the perfect song for us."

Hermione noted it down and then Teddy and Ron made a suggestion.

"I reckon we should do one of the songs all together," Teddy said. "If we pick a song that can get everyone involved, not just with singing but with dancing too, it would be good."

"Sexy and I Know It," Ron jumped in before Hermione could ask if they had a song in mind.

There was a slight smile playing on her lips as she wrote it down and suggestions came flooding in. The Slytherins had suggested that Harry, Ron and Hermione performed a song themselves because of their status; it would definitely bring in a lot of money for the fundraiser. By the end of it they had fourteen songs.

"Hermione, if it's okay, would you like to do a song with me?" Blaise asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure, Blaise, that would be awesome," Hermione wrote down the song he suggested. "I haven't heard that song, I'll have to go listen to it."

She smiled at everyone around her and looked down at the list before pursing her lips and frowning.

"Guys, we have 15 songs and eight of them have me in it," Hermione said. "That's not good. How am I supposed to rehearse all of them?"

"We have about a month so you can just work with it," Ginny said. "Some of them you could just stand there and sing; you know the words to practically all of them."

"Yeah, I guess," Hermione said doubtfully, before she was bundled by the group of them, only emerging a few moments later, laughing and cheering with the rest of them. They were all excited, Hermione included, although she was a little concerned about the amount of time that would be taken away from her exams.

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><p>For the next week, Hermione bounced between groups, trying to organise this whole performing event. She was tired, overworked and stressed, as keeping everyone happy and well-rehearsed was becoming an issue that kept her busy all times of the day, even at three o'clock in the morning when Ginny and Pansy knocked on her door and practically screamed at her about the lack of gracefulness in their dance routine. Hermione had stayed up until six re-choreographing it until they were happy, and had spent the next day surviving off Pepper-Up Potion.<p>

Still, Hermione was pleased with the progress that everyone was making. She had made a schedule so that everyone had a set time to rehearse and she could go to the ones she was needed in, and that left time for everyone to do their schoolwork and revise at the same time. Unfortunately, for some of them, it meant staying up late and having to work whilst tired the next day.

One night, Hermione and Draco decided to go down to see Severus, to catch up with him and explain how they were doing now. However, when they whispered the password and crept in, intent on surprising him, they found themselves surprised when they saw that his study had transformed; it now represented a sex dungeon, and Lavender was stretched out over a device whilst Severus whipped her with a cat 'o nine tails, applying it liberally to her bare buttocks and also to her swollen labia. Hermione and Draco didn't know what to think as Severus flung down the whip and stepped up behind her, proceeding to take her roughly and without consideration for her pleasure. Even though she was receiving pain (she kept tugging on the ropes that bound her to this device, seeking relief from the stretched feeling in her shoulders) from the sex, she was clearly enjoying it, her climax explosive when Severus permitted her to come.

Hermione and Draco slipped out of the room, leaving them to carry on. Although they thought that they hadn't been seen the night before, Severus quickly corrected them on that by passing a few words to them in class that informed them that they had been seen.

"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, I understand that you may have Head duties to patrol the school, but walking around at midnight and sneaking in places that are sometimes forbidden have had serious consequences," He said in his snarky voice, but his eyes held laughter in as he looked at them, causing them to blush red at the memory of his dominance. Draco also looked slightly hungry about it, but he fought it off when he looked at the beautiful girl sat next to him, who was blushing furiously.

Later that evening, in one of the rare moments in the last week that they actually had to themselves (Hermione had allocated Sunday evening as 'own time' so that everyone had a break to do what they wanted), Hermione took a deep breath and spoke to Draco.

"Do you miss being, you know, dominated and all that?" Hermione asked him, watching him start at her words.

"What makes you think that?" He turned to face her on the sofa, taking her hands in his.

"You looked so longingly when we walked in on Severus and Lavender, like you wished you were still doing that," Hermione said awkwardly.

"Hermione, that was part of my life, you must accept that," Draco urged. "Those feelings that I used to have will probably always be part of me, but that is the past. I have you, and, to be honest, I quite like having more of a normal relationship. It's nice to be equal for a change, and I'm happy with you."

"You promise?"

"I promise, absolutely, baby," He drew her into his arms and kissed her softly. "Let me show you."

She nodded, and he slowly began to undress her, kissing her gently as he revealed her perfect body. It was just her upper half that was revealed as he took off her shirt, and his hands caressed her side, choosing to hold her softly rather than touch her breasts like he normally would. His lips dropped down to her neck, and she tilted her head back so he had better access, moaning slightly as he continued to run his hands up and down her sides, creating a trail of goosebumps on her skin.

She was wearing a simple wrap-around skirt, and he undid the tie and pulled the sides apart, revealing her underwear to him. She was dressed in white underwear, a little lacy and he rested his hand on her hips, causing her to move uncomfortably as she wished him to touch her more intimately. He smirked against her neck, before he began to kiss a trail further down, reaching the lace covered hills that were her breasts. He didn't take off the material, stopping her from doing the same as he began to nip lightly at them through the lace. She began to whimper, desperate for more.

He finally slipped his hand under her knickers and began to rub against her slick folds, causing her to gasp out. Draco relented on the poor girl and slipped two fingers inside her, moving them gently.

"Please, take me," Hermione begged, unable to take any more playful teasing.

Draco stood up and undressed, taking his time. There was absolutely no rush; he was enjoying the build-up to the sex rather than the norm of rushing into it. Hermione, on the other hand, was positively desperate for it, stripping off her underwear as she pulled Draco down into a bruising kiss.

"I thought you wanted me to show you that I was happy with you," Draco murmured against her lips.

"Yeah, so show me, stop teasing me," she half-growled back, shifting so that Draco was positioned between her legs.

He pushed forward and, in one swift move, was enveloped in her warmth. Although he wished to take it slowly, she had completely other ideas as she began to move underneath, moving her hips and her ass to control the thrusts. Draco's eyes rolled back as he felt the pleasure, before he realised that she was doing all the work, and he pinned her down with his arms and his pelvis, stopping her from moving.

"Let me control it," he said firmly.

"But you're always so slow and gentle," she moaned bitterly. "I don't want that now."

"Do you not?" Draco asked, his eyes flashing.

"No," Hermione exclaimed.

Draco grabbed hold of her shoulders and began to thrust harder and harder into her, feeling her tighten around him instantly and almost painfully as she orgasmed with a shriek. Draco gritted his teeth and powered through the overwhelming urge to come, alternating his thrusts between hard and fast and then slow and gentle. He kept bringing her to the brink of orgasm before slowing his thrusts to stall it until he was ready to come too.

"Come now," he whispered in her ear, and was rewarded with a gentle moan from his Hermione's lips as she came around him, sending him over the edge.

"Do you believe me?" He asked her after their breathing had slowed to a steady rate.

"Yes," she smiled happily at him, tears swimming in her eyes. "I do believe you."

* * *

><p>The time fly by quickly and before any of them knew it, it was only two days to go before the performance. Ginny and Pansy were running around panicked all the time, Ron and Draco were fighting nerves (the blond refused to acknowledge this but every time it was mentioned he turned an interesting shade of green) and Luna was floating around completely unfazed. Of course, Hermione was organising rehearsals one after the other so she could see all the songs and correct any mistakes and make sure that they were perfect.<p>

That lunchtime Hermione received a note from Professor Snape.

_Dearest Hermione and Draco,_

_Rest assured, I have not forgotten about you. In the recent weeks I have been otherwise occupied teaching Miss Brown proper etiquette. Now, I wish to invite you to my quarters this evening for dinner so we can put on a little show for you. I would like you to see just how far along my pet has come in the last few months. _

_Sincerely yours,_

_Severus._

"Do you reckon we should go?" Hermione asked Draco, feeling slightly flushed at the idea of watching Severus and Lavender.

"Definitely," Draco took the letter from her and surveyed it. "It would be interesting. He should have conditioned her to perform under all circumstances. I imagine that this is a test for her; I highly doubt he has told her about it."

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Hermione gasped, imagining the horror she would feel in Lavender's place.

"It may seem it to you, but it is just a natural part of the dom/sub relationship," Draco took a bite of his pudding and crinkled his nose.

"Cream," Hermione handed it to him to pour over his apple pie as she looked up at the High Table and caught Severus' eye. She nodded once at him and he nodded his confirmation. It would appear that they had a dinner date with voyeurism that evening.

* * *

><p>Hermione and Draco were welcomed into Severus' abode that evening with a genuine smile from the Potions Master. Hermione shrugged off her school robe to reveal a strapless black dress and Draco had dressed slightly formally in a pair of black trousers and a white shirt. It was clearly the correct dress code as Severus was dressed very similarly.<p>

"My pet is through this way sat at the table already," Severus gestured and they entered the living room. "Lavender, I'm sure you know Hermione and Draco. They'll be joining us for dinner."

"It is nice to see you too," she stood up and dipped respectfully before resuming her seat.

Draco and Hermione took seats, leaving the one next to Lavender free for Severus to slip in to. He waved his wand and plates of steaming beef came floating out of the next room and settled down on the placemats. Hermione noted that she had chicken instead of beef and she thanked Severus for remembering her dislike of beef.

"So how's your studies coming along, Lavender?" Hermione struck up general dinner chat.

"Fine, thank you," She answered, before turning back to her food.

Hermione looked astonished at the lack of embellishment and she glanced quizzically at the curly haired girl. She felt a prodding in her head and Severus' voice filled it.

_She has been conditioned to act as an accessory. She will only speak when spoken to and she will give concise answers._

"That's outrageous," Hermione blurted out.

Everyone looked at her, even the 'conditioned' Lavender.

"Why do you let him treat you like this? You're like some sort of pet!" Hermione exclaimed to Lavender. "It's degrading."

"Because she gets off on it," Severus answered smoothly. "Here, watch. Lavender, go into the other room and assume your position."

Without another word, Lavender stood and left the room.

"We will go in once we have finished our meals and I will show you exactly what I mean," Severus picked up his cutlery once more and dug into his food. Much to Hermione's surprise, Draco mimicked him. Hermione miserably picked at her food, unable to wrap her logical brain around why someone would enjoy being treated like that. She understood the pleasures of giving yourself over to someone, but that really was taking it too far.

After dinner was finished and Severus had rested for several minutes, they left the table and entered the other room, where Lavender was kneeling on the rug before the fireplace completely naked, a red tint to her cheeks the only sign of her embarrassment.

"She's trying desperately to be the perfect submissive," Draco whispered to Hermione. "She's memorised the submissive's pose and now she hopes for release. She may be embarrassed, especially considering how she is in class with us every day, but she is doing well to hide it."

Severus waved his wand and the bench that they had seen Lavender sprawled over before appeared. He order Lavender over to it and she draped herself over it expertly, holding her wrists ahead of her so that Severus could secure the ties them. He pulled out a leather whip and flicked it on his hand.

"Whip," he announced, and Draco pulled Hermione down to sit with him on the sofa. "Count for me."

The whip swung through the air and hit her ass, leaving a red strip.

"One," Lavender's voice was strong.

However, by the time Severus reached seven, she was beginning to crack, her voice desperate.

"Is she okay?" Hermione whispered to Draco.

"She's aroused," Draco motioned to the moisture on her thighs. "She wants release but he won't give it to her yet."

Hermione watched wide-eyed as Severus delivered three more hits, leaving a criss-cross of red marks across her cheeks that he admired for a moment before stepping up behind her. When he ran his hands over her cheeks she shifted slightly, clearly wishing for him to ease her aching.

"Stay still," Severus commanded, and she froze in place. He cupped her mound, putting slight pressure on it. "How should I take you, pet?"

"However you want, sir," Lavender cried out.

Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away as Severus dropped his trousers and slid into her in a swift movement.

"You may not come until I say so."

As he began to take her roughly against that bench, Hermione began to feel her own arousal growing. Although she would never willing take Lavender's place, watching such a raw, animalistic pleasure had sparked her own and a quick glance at Draco showed her that he was in the same situation. He made eye contact with her.

"I can deal with that," Draco suggested.

"But they…"

"Are too far gone, trust me," Draco promised.

Hermione looked at the other couple and she realised that what Draco was saying was true. Admittedly, she would never normally consider it, but as far as she was concerned, this was not a normal situation. In a flash Draco had his trousers undone and his erection out, and Hermione straddled him, moving her knickers to one side to take him in her. She didn't spare a glance for the couple behind her as she began to bounce, taking complete control of him.

As they rushed towards their pleasure, fuelled by the other couple, they were not aware of when Severus opted to take Lavender through the paces completely and decided to switch the hole and take her anally. It had come as a shock to him early on when he discovered that Lavender actually came harder through anal stimulation, and she often begged him to take her that way.

As he sank into her tight hole, she let out the sexiest moan he had ever heard and it took every single bit of control to prevent himself from coming in that instant.

"You may come," he said in her ear as he bent himself over her to take her deeper, fucking her with all the strength he had. He knew that Hermione was currently screwing Draco on his sofa, and he could hear that they were getting close.

He wrapped Lavender's hair around his hand and lifted up her head.

"Look, this is all because of us," He turned her so she could see them climax together. That sent her over the edge and Severus emptied himself into her with a groan of pleasure.

"We are never speaking of this outside this room," Hermione groaned as she stood up. "EVER!"

* * *

><p>The very next morning Hermione attended her final rehearsal of all the songs. It was with Blaise, and, despite being a little bit put-off by the song that he had picked (she had never ever heard it before and was surprised that he had), she had come to fully enjoy it, especially when she found out that Blaise Zabini had the amazing ability to completely mimic singers. Well, in this case it was a rapper – Sean Paul.<p>

"Blaise, you don't seem to be that fussed about Pansy being with Remus," She brought up a subject that had been bothering her during one of their breaks.

"I know," he sighed. "I'm glad she's happy but I think I'm over it. I don't think I'll ever be happy about it – I wanted to marry her, you know – but time's gone by and I want her to be happy. I'm glad she's happy and I've decided there's no use in crying over something that's happened and I can't change."

"That's very mature of you," Hermione was surprised. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you," he smiled at her and felt his heart leap when she smiled back at him and hugged him briefly.

He shook his head when she turned away to switch the music back on; he cared for her more than he should. It was unbelievable to think that the girl he would dream about at night and would imagine during the times when he took matters into his own hands would be his best mate's girl. It was absolutely ridiculous and made a silent vow to avoid being alone with Hermione after this rehearsal.

With his heart thudding whenever she came near to him and his mind turning into mush when she smiled at him, who knew what he would end up doing?

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><p><strong>AN: **END CHAPTER looking forward to reading the reviews


	24. Chapter 22

Hey everyone :) sorry it's been so long since we updated - so much work to do! Still, at 90 reviews now :) really hoping to hit 100 ^^

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

The day of the performance came around and every single person of the friend group looked a little green around the gills at the thought of performing in front of some extremely respected members of the Ministry of Magic. Hermione had procured a guest list for the big event and the majority of the people attending were actually aged forty or younger. It was astonishing to see how many younger people held positions of power. However, that was lucky because the majority of their songs was suited more for the younger generation that some older people.

Cornelius Fudge walked into their joint dressing room with a smile on his face.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for agreeing to perform," He clapped his hands together once. "We appreciate it greatly. Now, I'm sure you are aware that we have some international figureheads with us today so try to show a little respect and not embarrass us."

"Excuse me," Hermione disliked Fudge's attitude and stepped up to him. "I think you should realise that several members of this 'performing act' saved your ass as Minister so you should show us a little respect."

He paled at the sight of so many unfriendly faces glaring at him and he quickly left the room, muttering something about the first song to be performed in five minutes. Hermione and Draco were up first, and she grabbed his hand in support and he pulled her into a quick hug.

"Good luck, guys!" The collective chant caused a smile to cross their faces.

"Come on, babe," Draco led the way out of the room.

"I wish to introduce our first act of the evening, Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy!"

Fudge announced them and they walked onto the stage to polite applause.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely hope you have a good night and we, along with several of our friends, will be entertaining you with a selection of songs," Hermione addressed the crowd.

She sat upon the tall stool that was at the centre of the stage and Draco sat in a smaller chair and put his acoustic guitar on his knee (thank you, memorisation charm).

**(A/N, for the correct music and style of this song – please go onto youtube and type in 'Sarah Close – E.T. cover and click on the first one that comes up. Sarah is a truly wonderful singer. I had to acknowledge her talents at some point during this story).**

Draco began to play the basic tune and Hermione began to sing.

_You're so hypnotising,_

_Could you be the devil, could you be an angel?_

_Your touch magnetising_

_Feels like I'm floating, leaves my body glowing_

_They say, be afraid_

_You're not like the others, futuristic lover_

_Different DNA_

_They don't understand you_

_You're from a whole other world_

_A different dimension_

_You open my eyes_

_And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light_

_Kiss me, kiss me_

_Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison_

_Take me, take me_

_Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien_

_Your touch so foreign_

_It's supernatural_

_Extra-terrestrial_

_You're so supersonic_

_Wanna feel your powers_

_Stun me with your lazer_

_Your kiss is cosmic_

_Every move is magic_

_You're from a whole other world_

_A different dimension_

_You open my eyes_

_And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light_

_Kiss me, kiss me_

_Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison_

_Take me, take me_

_Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien_

_Your touch so foreign_

_It's supernatural_

_Extra-terrestrial_

_This is transcendental_

_On another level_

_Boy, you're my lucky star_

_I wanna walk on your wavelength_

_And be there when you vibrate_

_For you I'd risk it all_

_Kiss me, kiss me_

_Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison_

_Take me, take me_

_Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien_

_Your touch so foreign_

_It's supernatural_

_Extra-terrestrial_

_Extra-terrestrial_

_Extra-terrestrial_

_Boy, you're an alien_

_Your touch so foreign_

_It's supernatural_

_Extra-terrestrial_

Hermione finished and the audience were silent for a moment before breaking into applause.

"Amazing," a voice called, and Hermione grinned to see Percy putting his thumb up at her.

"Thank you, now please put your hands together for our next performance – here's Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood performing Lego House by Ed Sheeran."

Several songs (and many costume changes) later, it was time to shift from the universally 'acceptable' music into the party music that they had set aside for the later hours of the fundraiser. It had been decided that since the majority of the attendees were male, it would be up to Pansy, Ginny and Hermione to introduce them into that aspect (it was the general opinion that hot girls = acceptance). They didn't want to wear too little, so they had stuck with a long sleeved white top (that dipped a little in front but still decent) and a pair of denim high-waisted shorts that flattered their figure, emphasising small waists and plentiful curves.

They stepped out onto the stage wearing biker heels to top it off and Pansy stepped up to the centre and addressed the audience.

"Who wants to shake this up a little? I'm sure you've been pleasantly entertained by the songs you have heard already, but we think it's time to entertain you properly into dancing with your partner or even just by yourself. Come on, girls, this is one for you!"

The music to Pixie Lott's What Do You Take Me For began to play and Hermione took up her position with her back to Ginny. Pansy was taking the first part of the song, and she winked at one of the boys in the audience just to get someone riled up before she started singing.

_I'm tired of you kicking the dirt_

_Just want the dust to settle_

_I'll find just what I deserve, if you can't do better_

_Can't say that you'll take your time_

_Before the sweet turns sour_

_You changed right before my eyes_

_You picked the wrong flower_

During this part of the song, Hermione and Ginny had been joining in on Pansy's dancing, taking the dance right from the video to the song (after all, why change what was already good and sexy). However, now they all joined in on the singing and began to wander around the group, pulling random people into dancing with them.

_Don't know what you think I'm after_

_Don't think I can take anymore_

_Don't know what you think I'm after_

_What do you take me for? What do you take me for?_

_Then I'm like whatever_

_Go on right through the front door_

_Bye, I'll see you later_

_What do you take me for, what do you take me for?_

It was Ginny's turn to take the lead now, and she did so with great gusto. All three of them picked the nearest guy and began to dance around him, dipping and turning and flicking their hair in a seductive matter. They were careful to not stay on one person for too long because of their boyfriends and kept shifting the person as they moved back to the stage for the next chorus.

_Boy now that the tables are turned, don't let me see you begging_

_It's a hard life lesson to learn _

_When it's me you're not getting_

_So low but you're all alone, and now you got no power_

_Let go cos I'm cutting the rope_

_Guess you climbed the wrong tower._

The girls danced together for the final chorus of the song.

_Don't know what you think I'm after_

_Don't think I can take anymore_

_Don't know what you think I'm after_

_What do you take me for? What do you take me for?_

_Then I'm like whatever_

_Go on right through the front door_

_Bye, I'll see you later_

_What do you take me for, what do you take me for?_

There was much cheer and catcalling from the audience once they had finished, and when they walked off stage they high-fived Harry, who was up next with Millie and Blaise singing Gettin' Over You by David Guetta. Hermione quickly changed her outfit into a tight, black PVC dress which had long sleeves but a very short skirt. It zipped up at the front and she pulled it up until her breasts were covered, leaving the rest. It was her 'sexual song' and Draco's mouth almost dropped when he saw her in it, especially with the black stilettos she was wearing to accompany it.

"If we weren't in company, I'd be fucking you right now," he growled in her ear.

"Do you think it's unsuitable?" She asked Ginny and Pansy, tugging at the bottom of the dress in an attempt to cover more. It had been Ginny who had picked it out for her, and her eyes were laughing as she slapped Hermione's hands away.

"Sweetie, believe me, people will give a lot of money and that's the point of it," Ginny said briskly.

"I look like a whore," Hermione complained to Pansy.

"You look like a million dollars," She answered genuinely, surprised that Hermione hadn't realised that she didn't look like a slut; she did actually look very attractive.

She smiled a little nervously at them both before turning to the other people in the room. Blaise walked back into the room and he stopped at seeing her.

"Wow, that looks awesome," he managed to say, giving a little laugh to cover up being stunned. "Damn, Draco, you're lucky."

He punched him lightly on the arm in jest at the comment.

"You look good," Pansy said awkwardly to him.

It was true, he really did. He had on a pair of tight blue jeans and a white shirt that was left open to reveal his torso underneath. Hermione had to stop herself from staring at his perfect six pack and muscles that would make any girl go weak at the knees at the sight.

"You guys are going to get so much attention," Ginny squealed at the sight of them.

"Thanks, I guess," Hermione bit her lip, looking at Draco. He seemed to be perfectly fine, but Hermione decided to placate him anyway with a long, drawn-out kiss before she left with Blaise to perform the penultimate song of the evening. "You ready, Blaise?"

"I don't think anyone's going to be focussed on me with you looking like that," he said, drawing her close to his side as a couple of guys passed them on the way to the toilets.

He watched as they eyed up Hermione, before turning back around and going into the conference room to watch the next song. Clearly Hermione was a magnet for young, hot-blooded men. When they walked onto the stage the whole room went silent before erupting into conversation.

"Oh crap, I'm wearing the wrong thing," Hermione whispered to Blaise.

"Hermione, you look stunning and that's exactly what they're saying," He comforted her.

Admittedly he could hear what the group of twenty-somethings were saying at the front and it wasn't particularly polite, but he wasn't going to let Hermione know that.

"Just remember, be confident, darling," he squeezed her hand once for reassurance and then the music started.

Blaise glanced at the girl, watching her suddenly grab hold of her Gryffindor courage and straighten up, her eyes looking around at the audience with complete confidence. It was hard to believe that only mere seconds before she had been nervous.

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

Hermione's voice joined in for the next point as she plastered a smile on her face.

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

Blaise stepped forward into the limelight to take the verse as Hermione slipped into the background and just moved her hips around in time to the beat. It amused Hermione no end to end Blaise's normally perfect accent (a mixture between English and Italian) transformed into a reggae voice that rivalled Sean Paul's.

_Girl, mi nuh steal like dem waan dey report you don't_

_Mi ready leave you weh you fire off the ground_

_Nuff a dem fake dem man a king a crown_

_Only thinking bout dem self alone _

_Listen mi keen nuh baby tell a mi how mi sound_

_Ana weh dem likkle boy dey weh loose a brown_

_Mi alone ana make you start fi moan and groan_

_Cau mi an here lost strong like a stone _

_Girl, cause _

Hermione stepped up next to him and sang beautifully, moving herself around perfectly in time with the music

_I, I'll do anything I could for ya,_

_Boy, you're my only_

_I, I'm gonna flip the script on ya_

_You don't even know me_

_Cause I am, I…._

_I don't even wanna fight, fight, fight_

_Said I am, I…._

_I ain't even gonna fight it_

Blaise turned to her and took her hand in his, holding it up as she moved around him in time with the next chorus as they both sang the part together.

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

Once more Blaise took the verse, but Hermione took the time out to wander through the crowd, her smile infecting the audience. All of the young members were dancing together, and with Hermione's encouragement, several of the older members also began to dance. Blaise noticed that a couple of boys focussed on Hermione as she moved around, and he fought to keep the disgust off his face as she headed back towards him to take her second part.

_I, I'll do anything I could for ya,_

_Boy, you're my only_

_I, I'm gonna flip the script on ya_

_You don't even know me_

_Cause I am, I…._

_I don't even wanna fight, fight, fight_

_Said I am, I…._

_I ain't even gonna fight it_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

It was time for their part together, and they alternated each line of the song, Hermione taking the first song as they looked at each other, Blaise's heart racing as he heard her sing the line. He was on automatic as he responded,

_You were the sun_

_Hard steppin' girl, we're not stoppin'_

_Got me spinnin' in your orbit with nowhere to run_

_Good lovin;, give yuh good lovin'_

_Boy, you got me, can't ignore it_

_It's me and you forever girl!_

It was Hermione's part once more and she put her hand up to Blaise's face and sang directly to him, her eyes shining bright. His traitorous heart hoped that it was because she loved him, but he knew that wasn't the truth.

_I, I'll do anything I could for ya,_

_Boy, you're my only_

_I, I'm gonna flip the script on ya_

_You don't even know me_

_Cause I am, I…._

_I don't even wanna fight, fight, fight_

_Said I am, I…._

_I ain't even gonna fight it _

_I, I'll do anything I could for ya,_

_Boy, you're my only_

_I, I'm gonna flip the script on ya_

_You don't even know me_

_Cause I am, I…._

_I don't even wanna fight, fight, fight_

_Said I am, I…._

_I ain't even gonna fight it_

Blaise caught hold of her waist and spun her around, pulling her back to his chest as they rocked together for the final chorus.

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you _

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

_Got to love you_

They finished the song panting, with massive grins on their faces as they were applauded by everyone in the audience. Blaise gave Hermione the briefest of hugs before they left the stage to get ready for the final song which involved all eleven of them. They passed Harry on the way up to the stage – he was going to introduce it and he put three fingers up to explain that they had only three minutes to get ready. As soon as they went back into the dressing room, they were ushered off by the other eight people to get ready.

Ron and Teddy looked absolutely ridiculous in their outfits which reminded Hermione so much of the actual outfits that LMFAO wore in the video to 'Sexy and I Know It'. It was brightly coloured (green vs. red – house colours allowed friendly rivalry. After all, it was relatively balanced; Slytherin had Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Millie and Teddy, whilst Gryffindor had Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville and Ginny. Luna was dressed as mixture between both of them) and the boys were wearing glittery red/green three-quarter length trousers with a matching waistcoat, combined with a white shirt which said 'Sexy and I Know It' emblazoned on it. The girls wore artfully ripped black leggings with tied up red/green shirts with the same slogan written across their breasts in white.

Within ten seconds left to go, they were all waiting in the wings, none of them nervous at all because this one was purely for their own entertainment. The song was ridiculous, the outfits were ridiculous, but they were determined to have as much fun as possible. Teddy and Ron, elected to be the two main starts of this song, kissed each other quickly as Harry slipped off the stage to join the group.

"Fudge is going to announce us," he said, his face flushed. "So get ready everyone."

Just as he said that they heard Fudge say all of their names and inform the audience of the title of the song. They all filed dutifully on stage and took up their positions. The girls were staggered in a line across the stage whilst the Red boys were stood, lounging across the wall to the left of the stage. On the right side, the Green boys were doing the same. Ron and Teddy were stood on the centre of the stage, in front of the girls and on their respective sides. Whilst the boys were lazy against the wall as part of their 'cool boy act', the girls all stuck poses and held them.

Hermione had her arms tastefully arranged above her head, with one leg bent and the other straight to push out her hips. Ginny had crouched down, looking up at the ceiling with her head rested in her hand. Millie and Pansy had similar poses, with both opting for oozing sex appeal with all breasts and butt, whilst Luna was stood with her arms spread, her head tilted to the side. The music began to play and the boys clapped at the appropriate times in accordance with the original music. Ron and Teddy casually tapped their feet in time as the girls stayed in position until Teddy moved around, tapping each girl on the shoulder, allowing them to move.

Ron began to sing.

_When I walk on by_

_Girls be looking like 'damn he's fly'_

At this point, Pansy walked up to him and gave him the once over approvingly, before he raised his hand in a dismissal and she walked off to Teddy, who put his arm around her shoulders.

_I pimp to the beat_

_Walking down the street in my new lafreak, yeah_

_This is how I roll, animal print, pants outta control_

_It's Redfoo with the big afro_

_And like Bruce Lee I got the claw, yo._

The rest of the Reds moved up to join him, flanking him on either side as the girls moved up and around them to watch what he was doing. This idea was to make it seem like they were attracted to the Reds. Hermione fought down a giggle.

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl look at that body_

_I work out_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_I work out_

For the next part the Greens came in, causing a face-off between the two sides as the girls looked on.

_When I walk in the spot_

_This is what I see_

_Everybody stops and they staring at me_

_I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it._

_I'm sexy and I know it!_

As the beat kicked in, the guys did their best impression of LMFAO's thrusting and the audience fell about laughing at the stupidness of it. To their merit, no-one performing broke from their dancing (the girls were moving their hips on every beat) although Hermione did have to bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

Teddy took the next verse.

_When I'm at the mall, security just can't fight them off._

Hermione moved up to him, placing her hand on his shoulder as if she were interested.

_When I'm at the beach I'm in a speedo trying to tan my cheeks._

Hermione plastered on a look of disgust and moved away, saying a single word: 'what?'

_This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go_

_We headed to the bar, baby, don't be nervous_

_No shoes no shirt and I still get service!_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl look at that body_

_I work out_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_Girl, look at that body_

_I work out_

_When I walk in the spot_

_This is what I see_

_Everybody stops and they staring at me_

_I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it._

_I'm sexy and I know it!_

The beat kicked in a higher notch and the girls began to move around even more in time to the beat, their movements choreographed but straightforward (mostly a lot of hip-wiggling, dipping, ducking and clapping at appropriate times)

The girls moved behind their respective teams as the Reds and the Greens faced each other, leaving Luna to act as 'unofficial referee'. In an instant, all the boys reached down and ripped off their pants, revealing tight speedos in bright colours. That was it, everyone was in fits of laughter.

_Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah_

_Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah_

_Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah_

_Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah_

_Do the wiggle man_

_Do the wiggle man_

_Yeah I'm sexy and I know it_

As the groups merged together with their dancing, the crowd cheered as some of the younger members came up on stage and joined in with the ridiculous dancing.

* * *

><p>It had been a roaring success, but by the time they got back to Hogwarts, none of them were in a fit state to celebrate. With whispered good nights, they headed off to bed, completely exhausted.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Finished!


	25. Chapter 23

**A/N:**Sorry for the delay! Things have been hectic here but it's all sorted now. We hope you enjoy this and please let us know what you think :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

The very next morning, once they had dragged themselves out of bed, they all found themselves the centre of attention as plenty of people waved the newspaper at them. Wondering what all the fuss was about, Hermione led the group over to the end of the Hufflepuff table, allowing them to sit all together as she reached for the nearest paper.

"Oh dear," she groaned.

"What is it?" Draco asked her.

**MINISTRY FUNDRAISER A SUCCESS? BUT FOR WHAT REASON?**

_Yesterday evening, your favourite reporter attended the exclusive annual Ministry fundraiser with high hopes for it to be a spectacular reason. It was indeed spectacular, but for all the wrong reasons. _

_The night was going perfectly fine until our own esteemed Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, announced the entertainment provided. Imagine the situation; waiting with baited breath to see what delight was to be shown. Something patriotic? A musical act such as the Weird Sisters? No, it was none of these. Instead, the most respected international politicians were forced to sit through a series of songs performed by none other than Hogwarts students. Although under qualified, several of them did possess talents, and it was these talents which caused the huge increase in money earned. _

_Approximately half-way through the evening, your favourite reporter was astonished to see three 17 year olds; Hermione Granger, Ginevra Weasley and Pansy Parkinson, stumble out onto the stage and debauche the face of Britain with a raunchy routine. The evening worn on and the outfits became more and more ludicrous, until eventually we had six teenaged boys (Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott and none other than the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter himself) thrusting wearing nothing more than the muggle attire known as 'speedos'. _

_Not only that, but throughout the evening, one Hermione Granger was seen acting in an intimate matter with no less than four of the boys! Blaise Zabini, Ronald Weasley, Draco Malfoy and her former flame, Harry Potter all received her attentions…_

"Oh, I can't be bothered to read any more," Hermione threw the paper down in disgust, unwilling to read the full story which ran on pages 2, 3, 4, 5 and her past love life in detail on pages 8 and 9. A lot of faces were staring at her in disgust and she ignored them, buttering a slice of toast and digging into it with great gusto. By the time she left the Great Hall, her hair was frizzled and the air around her positively crackled with her anger.

"Shit's gonna hit the fan," Harry said to Draco, his eyes wide. Draco nodded, his eyes not straying from the door where she had just walked through.

* * *

><p>It happened in Potions. Justin Finch-Fletchley added the wrong ingredient and his cauldron exploded, depositing its contents all over a furious Hermione. It was only Ginny tackling her that prevented her from hexing Justin, and Ginny sat on a struggling Hermione until Draco could calm her down.<p>

"It was a mistake, no one's hurt," he soothed her.

"I have had it with people staring at me and calling me names behind my back!" She tried to yell but couldn't with Ginny sat on her.

"I know, baby, but that's just how it is," Draco gestured for Ginny to move and when she did, pulled Hermione to her feet.

"Miss Granger, please refrain from any attempted cursing in my classroom," Severus' silky voice interrupted her thoughts and inflamed her anger even more.

"Oh shut the fuck up, you," Hermione turned on him, finally able to yell. "Don't you dare take house points from me, Severus Snape. God help it, I will never talk to you again!"

"Miss Granger, please calm down," he attempted to placate her, but it was unsuccessful.

"Oh fuck you, you grumpy old sod," She seethed in fury before wandlessly conjuring her bag and storming out of the classroom.

Every student in the class watched her leave, before turning their wide eyes on the professor.

Severus paused briefly for a couple of seconds, uncertain what to do. Although he generally was a fairer person now, he knew that if his students thought that they could act like that it would be mayhem.

"50 points from Gryffindor," Severus said smoothly. "Mr Malfoy, please inform her to come to my office tomorrow morning at eight."

"Yes, sir," Draco said, dutifully cleaning his and Hermione's workspace. Since a cauldron had exploded, the lesson was null and void now. The class was dismissed and Draco went in search of his beloved.

He didn't find her until dinner time at the Great Hall, where she sat in the midst of their friends, staring angrily at her cottage pie. Blaise saw him and slid up the bench so he could sit next to her.

"Severus wants to see you tomorrow at eight in his office," he said to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, now stabbing her cottage pie with her knife.

Draco frowned as he looked at her before glancing around the hall. The majority of the students were sat in groups, and in the time it took him to look around the hall, he saw no less than about twenty of those groups look in their direction before laughing. He felt a little mad at that idea, and he stood up.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked him.

"Defending Hermione's honour," Draco informed him grimly.

Draco climbed up onto the table and stood up, casting a _sonorous _on his voice.

"Excuse me, everyone," he said, his amplified voice guaranteeing the attention of every student and teacher alike. "I know that almost all of you would have read the Daily Prophet this morning and I would like to correct you on some glaring errors in that article. Yes, we performed at the Ministry last night with Fudge's permission, and we did perform dance songs which required less clothing than what a ballad might. However, it is the question of Hermione that I wish to address. Rita Skeeter has had you all believe that Hermione had been in a relationship with Harry Potter before. Sorry, not true."

"It's completely true," Harry stood up now. "I have never had a relationship with Hermione and last night I only had eyes for my girlfriend."

He offered his hand to Ginny and she accepted it, joining them on the table.

"I'm definitely not in a relationship with Hermione either," Blaise stood up.

"And I'm gay so same here," Ron announced.

Teddy gave him a hug and held his hand, causing much muttering to go on.

"And, in actual fact, Hermione is going out with me and has been for quite some time and it is a monogamous relationship," Draco smiled down at his princess. "For all of you dunderheads, that means exclusive – no cheating!"

He gave Hermione a passionate kiss, bending her backwards. There was a massive uproar in the hall, and when Draco came up for air, he saw an irate Head of Gryffindor standing towards him.

"Twenty points from Slytherin for inappropriate behaviour!" She shouted at him, patting her bun to ensure that it was still in place. Then her voice lowered and the briefest of smiles spread across her face. "And forty points to Slytherin for promoting inter-house unity and sticking up for one of my Gryffindors."

Draco looked at her and her eyes flashed back at him in amusement. He dipped his head politely at her and then spirited Hermione away for an evening of romance, love, and, of course, sex. Admittedly, Hermione did attempt to resurface from the bed at eight o'clock to do some revision, but Draco managed to persuade her to stay there for a bit longer. Up until four o'clock actually.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later and neither of them had much time for each other. All of their spare time was spent sleeping and eating as they worked furiously to finalise their Transfiguration coursework in the midst of their NEWT exams.<p>

However, before they all knew it, the exams were done and, as per usual, Hermione was sat their panicking about her final potions' paper, believing that she had messed up the theory. It amused the rest of them how she could panic about such a thing whilst they were all supposed to be relaxing underneath the old oak tree overlooking the Great Lake.

"Hermione, chill out, okay?" Pansy hushed her.

Hermione looked at the dark haired girl who was currently laying down in the sun with her eyes closed, relaxing.

"I'm just worried. I know I did badly," Hermione wrung her hands is despair.

"Sweetie, shush," Pansy sat up and held her hand over her eyes to focus on her. "Hey, we never did have that party, you know."

"Party?" Draco joined the conversation.

"Yeah, after that sing-off," Pansy grinned. "Why don't we do it now?"

"Now?" Blaise shuffled closer. "As in, leave school right now?"

"Yeah, absolutely," Pansy smirked. "Parkinson Hall is completely mine now and I can do what I want with it. If I want a party I can have a party; I have no relatives."

"What about Dumbledore?" Hermione asked. "He won't just let us off the grounds."

"We could just…leave," Ginny suggested. "Just go now?"

Hermione took a look around at everyone there. Blaise, Ginny, Draco, Pansy and Harry were sat around her, whilst Ron, Teddy, Neville and Luna were chatting together down by the Lake, dipping their feet in the cool summer water. Millie and Seamus (who were doing exceptionally well together) were cuddled together close-by.

"Why not?" Hermione threw her hands up in defeat and Pansy and Ginny cowed in delight, running up to the others and getting them over in the group.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Ahh, Hermione, shush!" Draco groaned. "You've agreed to it!"

"Look, come with me," Harry took Hermione's hand and led her all the way up to Headmaster's office. "Headmaster, can several students leave the premises for a night?"

"What would that be for, Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"To celebrate the NEWTs being over," Harry answered ambiguously.

"I'm guessing that Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy will be accompanying you?" Dumbledore questioned. When Harry nodded, he smiled at them. "Of course you can. Send a patronus if you run into trouble. I doubt you will, but just in case."

"Of course, Headmaster," Harry said respectfully, before leading Hermione away again. "See, I told you he'd been fine with it!"

"Why is he okay with it?" Hermione asked, a confused look on her face.

"Because we saved the world and because we need a break," Harry explained as he ushered her along. "He's not as strict as you believe, you know."

"It just doesn't make sense that he would let twelve students off the school grounds!" Hermione complained.

"Oh stop thinking, will you?!" Harry sighed. "It's annoying."

Hermione fell into silence at his words. Before long she brightened up, the prospect of spending the night with just her friends, celebrating the end of an era.

* * *

><p>A few hours later she was wondering exactly why she had agreed to come. Everyone around her was happily partying away, drinks in their hands as they danced with their friends and respective partners. Although Hermione was content that her friends were enjoying themselves, she couldn't help but remember what had led them to this moment, the torture, the death, the almost rape at the hands of her once gentle lover, and she felt sad. Her life as she knew it was over and she knew that she had to accept that people had been hurt and killed by her hand.<p>

As she thought about the past, a single tear slipped down her face.

Why was she the one having fun? Why were her friends willing to kill their own parents in order to protect her?

"Because they love you," Blaise sat down next to her and said as quietly as he could with the music blaring. "Sorry, you looked so sad so I looked in your head. Hermione, everyone here would give their lives in a heartbeat in order to save you or anyone here. That's the beauty of being as close as we all are."

"I just feel sad, you know?" Hermione stared glumly at her glass of wine. "So many people died."

"I know, sweetheart," Blaise gently embraced her, allowing her to shed a few tears on his shirt. "They all died for the greater good. It was better that Voldemort was killed so that we could all survive and live happy lives. Wouldn't want to waste their sacrifice by sitting here feeling guilty about surviving."

There was a couple of sniffs and then Hermione lifted her head from his chest, smiling at him with genuine pleasure as she reflected on his words.

It was true that she did feel guilty about surviving, but now was not the time to concern herself with that. For the first time since her kidnapping, she felt as if she would be able to let go of her guilt.

"Would you like to dance?" Blaise asked her.

"I would love to," Hermione smiled and accepted the hand he offered, contenting herself with dancing with the brother she never had.

However, whilst Blaise was spinning her around, she was unaware that Blaise was watching her with desperation in his eyes, an unrequited love shining from him as he listened to her tinkling laugh and watched her.

Although Hermione didn't notice it, a very concerned werewolf did, and after the song finished she dragged Blaise out into the hallway, leaving Draco to commandeer Hermione.

"What the fuck, Blaise?" Pansy snapped in a low voice.

"What?" Blaise tried to appear nonchalant.

"You're in love with Hermione," Pansy's hand flew to her mouth when he dropped his head in shame. "How did that happen?"

"About two months, after we broke up, Hermione got completely smashed with your other half and came onto me because she was upset over an argument with Draco," Blaise informed her. "I was upset over you and we ended up having sex."

"Oh, shit," Pansy shook her head.

"She doesn't know," Blaise sighed. "She can't remember it. But I love her. The passion she displayed and the lust in her eyes captivated me, Pansy, but I can't do anything about it because she's in love with Draco and he's my best friend."

"Oh, Blaise," Pansy hugged him tightly. "I wish I never got turned into a werewolf sometimes, because then life would be so much simpler. I'm sure that you'll find someone special."

"I think, after graduation, I'm going to travel the world for a bit," Blaise said. "I think it's the only way for me to get her out of my head."

"Don't run away, Blaise," Pansy took his hand and held it tightly. "Don't run away from your troubles – they'll only get worse. But if you want to travel the world and take a break, then I'll be here for when you come back and anytime you want me during that time, I'm only an owl or a floo call away."

"Thanks, Pansy," Blaise drew a deep breath and then released it with a little laugh. "Come on, we should get back."

As they walked back into the party, Pansy saw that Blaise's eyes were drawn directly to Hermione, and she knew that even ten years away travelling the world would not be enough to stop Blaise's love for her.

* * *

><p>The very next day they dragged themselves back to Hogwarts, all affected by terrible hangovers that they quickly cured with a trip to Madam Pomfrey (who at first looked at them with disapproval but they all heard her laughs of acceptance once the door closed behind them). On the way to their respective houses, Hermione was pulled aside by a pale-faced Neville.<p>

"Hermione, I need your help," Neville said, suddenly reverting back to his quiet self.

"Sure, Neville, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I want to propose to Luna," he blushed furiously for a moment before regaining control. "But I want to sing to her. I want all of us to take part because I know you guys mean to world to Luna, and to me as well. I was wondering if you could get everyone together to play instruments whilst I sing."

"Wow, Neville, that's fantastic," Hermione beamed brightly at him, proud that her little Gryffindor was finally turning into a man. "Yes, I'll arrange a meeting. You'll have to distract Luna though for that one and then we'll have to try and arrange our rehearsals around Luna's schedule so she doesn't miss us. When were you planning on proposing?"

"Next week during the final dinner of the year," Neville said quietly.

"Blimey, Neville, you don't give me much time!" Hermione laughed a little. "Don't worry, love, that's what memorisation charms are for!"

Neville flushed slightly red but it was obvious that he was extremely happy in himself. As he bundled off to catch up with his future wife (there was no doubt in Hermione's mind that she would say yes), Hermione clapped her hands together with glee and blinked back joyous tears.

Time to get the gang together again.

* * *

><p>Hermione quickly passed on the message to eight of them to meet at the headquarters during lunch whilst Neville took Luna down to the kitchens to eat lunch privately there. Ginny bounded in and hugged her tightly, and Hermione was bemused to find the red-head so clingy. Still, when Teddy and Ron joined the group, Hermione only had business on her mind due to the short length of time that they had.<p>

"Okay, guys, guess what I found out today?" Hermione asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, no more performing, please!" Teddy groaned, and everyone laughed at him.

"Well, this is a performance, but no-one here will be singing," Hermione paused for a second to watch their puzzled faces. "Neville's going to be singing to Luna next week and he wants us to play the instruments."

"Erm, Hermione, I don't know about you but I don't think I could learn to play an instrument in a week," Harry spoke up.

"Harry, memorisation charms do exist, you know," Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "They're not taught in school because of people cheating during their exams, but there are books on it in the library."

"The Great Hall has anti-cheating charms cast on it anyway," Blaise said. "My cousin tried to cheat once and he got stuck to his chair and it tap-danced all the way up to the examiner."

"Wow, okay, moving on!" Hermione shook her head slightly. "I happen to know what song because Neville told me, and we'll need violins, guitars and a piano."

"Guitar," all the boys said at once.

"Draco, you can play the piano already," Blaise stared at his friend, and Draco stared back at him.

"Yeah, I'll play the piano," Draco sighed. Hermione looked at him curiously. "What? My mother taught me from the ages of four until I was sixteen."

"We actually need three guitars to work properly because it's quite an in-depth song," Hermione looked around the group. "Blaise, Harry and Ron can play the guitar and the rest of us will play violins."

"I can play the flute already," Millie said a little timidly. "Would that work?"

"Yes, it will actually," Hermione nodded to her in acceptance. "Okay, we're all set. We have to arrange our rehearsals so that Luna doesn't walk in on us. We'll start tomorrow by listening to the song and then I'll cast the memorisation charms on everyone. We'll probably have to practise a couple of times but we shouldn't need any more than that."

* * *

><p>At eight o'clock that evening, Hermione found herself inside Severus Snape's office, staring coldly at the man who was her friend but also exceptionally annoying. She had been standing there for a good five minutes and he had yet to remove his large nose from his stupid marking book. Just as she was about to say something, he looked up at her and smirked.<p>

"Hermione," He greeted her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Professor," she said in a clipped tone.

"Now, now, don't be angry with me, I had to finish what I was doing," he stood up from behind his desk and stretched, clicking his shoulders as he did so. "Never become a teacher, Miss Granger, it is too time-consuming and too much trouble on your joints."

"It wouldn't be so bad if you warmed the room up a little bit," Hermione said.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," he waved his hand and instantly the room warmed. "Now, sit, please."

Hermione took a seat and Severus sat next to her, his body turned so he could face her.

"So how have you been after that article?" Severus asked.

"Oh, fine," she replied with a smile. "Everyone's left me alone after Draco kissed me in the Great Hall. It's been nice."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Severus leaned in a little closer. "Now, I very, very rarely do this, but I do honestly believe that you are an exceptional student and I reckon you will graduate with the second highest potion score ever."

"Second highest?"

"After me, of course," this earned him a snort. "Anyway, if you have no immediate plans after Hogwarts, I was wondering if you would like to become my assistant for two years, by which point we should be able to publish some research that I have been working on for a while now and you should get enough recognition to launch your own career as a Potions Mistress if you so wish."

"Are you joking?" Hermione frowned. "You want me to work with you on research that you're already doing and receive half-credit for it?"

"Hermione, this research is a difficult one for me as I am emotionally involved in finding the answer, but having the perspective of someone who is detached and mind-boggling intelligent will aid me in achieving the end results."

"What is it that you're hoping to achieve?" Hermione was definitely interested. She had always planned to follow in the field of Potions upon graduation but working closely with Severus would give her recognition.

"I wish to find a cure for the after-effects of the Cruciatus curse," He said simply. "Being subjected to the curse often has had bad effects such as seizures, black-outs and severe migraines and I hope to stop that completely."

"Wow, that's a noble cause," Hermione stared at him in surprise. "I know you must suffer from these effects as well, but this could help lots of people. Even Neville's parents."

"I'm not so sure about them," Severus said carefully. "The mental damage that they sustained during their torture might be too much to cure, I'm afraid."

"Severus, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to think this over for a while and get back to you," Hermione stood up.

"That's fine," Severus stood up with her and showed her to the door. "I didn't expect an answer straight away though."

As Hermione walked away from the office, she wondered just exactly what to do with her life after graduation. There were plenty of things that she still wanted to experience, but working as Severus's apprentice would certainly aid her in the long run.

It was going to be a difficult decision.


End file.
